


Curious laughter

by SpiffySiffy



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Other, Papyrus is the study group leader and involved frequently but not a large focus as mc or sans, Reader interpretation is open to.... The reader, Tickling, reader gender is not specified
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:14:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 56,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25947901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiffySiffy/pseuds/SpiffySiffy
Summary: Sans is just keeping an eye out on his brother's friends. You have a strange personality and he finds it interesting. Suddenly he finds he's getting more and more curious about you and your thoughts on certain topics.
Relationships: Sans (Undertale)/Reader
Comments: 108
Kudos: 185





	1. Welcome to casa papyrus

**Author's Note:**

> This is a tickle fic, but a slow one?? With multiple chapters apparently?? I am not good at this.

He didn't know why he interacted with you more than the others. Maybe it was both your kindness but also your hesitancy. You weren't very talkative, but you weren't shy. Maybe there was something in your life that made you less naive than others thought you were. He never asked you what that was, but you'd probably tell him if it would make him feel better. Otherwise you weren't going to offer. 

After meeting you from a group of Papyrus' classmates, it took him a while to finally place you in a group of people or monsters he trusted. You visited often since you had the same major as his brother. Sometimes he was afraid you gave too much information. Other times, too little. When in reality you were choosing the middle line of being just friendly enough but not cryptic. 

You'd discuss the emotions of others in the class if you felt he'd benefit from knowing, but sometimes you'd simply shrug and reply "it's not my place to say". He was often suspicious. 

Other times he was surprised. Once he joked about pop rocks and he would be curious on what would happen to a skeleton in an off joke. You brought pop rocks the next day assuming he was still curious.

Papyrus spoke well of you, but you weren't his only friend. You weren't as outgoing or active, and you often lagged behind when your meetings got energetic. Some comments from Papyrus often included "NOT LAZY", "LISTENS", and "GOOD AT CATCHING SMALL MISTAKES OR DETAILS." A good partner to have in class, essentially. 

You weren't perfect, though. While you were good at noticing if someone was uncomfortable or struggling, you weren't great at telling if someone was humoring your attempt to provide clarification on a rhetorical question. It wasn't until they laughed or started speaking in extremes that you got the hint and laughed yourself. It was honestly painful to watch. He was only joking about the pop rocks after all. 

In a way, your odd personality attracted his attention and you liked his puns so he didn't mind using you to dig for information on how college was going for his brother, or what the climate of his campus was like. Hell, you were a good source of information on how a lot of social issues on the surface were perceived. "why do humans act like this, why is this such a big deal to them" and you'd answer as best you could without any judgement. And if there's one thing he could detect, it was judgement. 

So… when the topic came up, he knew he could at least trust your attempt to educate him on the subject while you were watching a documentary on lion cubs in the background.

"so if monsters play fight with magic as kids, but animals wrestle and claw and bite… does that mean while i was tossing magic bullets at my bro you were gnawing on some other kid's ear?" 

You laughed. He laughed. It was a joke. 

Then you stopped and thought of an answer to the question that was only partially there. "I believe play fighting for humans is tickling, since younger humans are often too uncontrolled to fight without injury….. but it does depend how they were raised and the environment they grew up in."

There were a few things you said that caught his interest. You didn't say kids couldn't physically fight, you had a reason why… and apparently tickling is a thing on the surface? Well, it was in the underground too, but intention filled magic bullets were just more fun? If there was any tickling underground, it was often by accident, much like getting hair in someone's face and they felt itchy. He thought about it.

"weird" He replied, honestly as it was given. "so until they can learn how to control their little fighting arms, they literally get on each other's nerves?" He laughed at his joke. You didn't, since you were considering the question. 

"Ehhhh…. Again it depends. Most children don't like actual violence, --again, depending how they were raised. ---If they just want to be playful, they will usually tickle until like around age 10, where most will become typically moody teenagers." After that, you laughed a little but it died out, and your eyes seemed focused on a memory. Sans suspected you were that moody teenager. But just as quickly as your voice faded, it shot up again. "But for some people the desire comes back again since it's a fun connection. Although adults tend to be more quiet around it." 

He swears he gets whiplash from listening to you. 

"and why are they quiet about it?" He asked, guessing you didn't want to talk about being a moody teenager. Plus, he was curious. 

Only then, your usually relaxed face blushed slightly. He never recalled seeing that before, even when you'd embarrass yourself in the group over a misunderstanding. "Oh… I guess because it's seen as something only kids do? Or maybe it looks weak? Or it's sometimesmoreintimateorembarrassing? Hahaha-Idon'tknow" you looked like you were done with the conversation, which was very rare. 

After a brief moment of silence, he laughed. It was probably rude but he found your reaction funny. Your open/closed book personality was entertaining. What he didn't expect was an almost look of fear that crossed your face before you gave a fake laugh in response. That… wasn't the direction he wanted to go. He reached out.

"hey, wait-" 

"Y/N!"Papyrus announced as him and the rest of the class came back in the house "WE HAVE FINISHED OUR RECREATIONAL GAME OF HOOPS, ARE YOU READY TO RESUME OUR PROJECT?"

You quickly shot up, ready for literally anything else. "Y-yeah, sure! Let me just use the bathroom really quick. My notes are ready on the table if you want to get started without me" and you quickly left to the hallway without even a wave goodbye to the shorter skeleton. 

For the rest of the get-together, you didn't even look his way. Heck, you didn't even have eye contact with anyone until you left. You just appeared distracted. Once goodbyes were said, you gave short waves and of course a mandatory Papyrus hug. 

San watched as you collected your items and glanced at him. He waved. You appeared to purse your lips and wave back stiffly. Then left.

FUCK that was awkward. 

\------

And then at the next group visit, you smiled at him like it never happened. Your voice was back to normal and that uncomfortable shyness was gone again.

He felt like he needed to see a doctor before the whiplash caused permanent damage. 

Isn't that how that always goes in those fanfictions Alphys keeps making him read? It's awkward until they talk it over? And why was he complaining? What would he have said if they did have to talk it over? Why was this bothering him so much? It's back to how it was before, why does he care? … Why was he relating your interaction to a fanfiction??

Nevermind. It's back to normal, it seems.

\-------

A month or two passed and it was the same as usual. You'd come over with the study group, lingering in the background but providing good input here and there. Occasionally speaking up to remind the group what the professor is looking for rather than what makes the most sense for an answer. College classes were weird like that. 

Sometimes you were quiet as the group took a recreational break. Other times you were outspoken if something caught your eye. As both a student and the monster mascot, Papyrus' house had multiple visitors, once including the Bun family and a brand new baby Bun. You cried at how cute they were and were very vocal at how great their family was. 

\-----

And then finally, midterms. Your group did well and Papyrus insisted on a party. There was the study group. There was Papyrus. Lots of food. Even booze. Specifically celebration booze as it "DOESN'T HELP THE STUDY PROCESS."

It was funny to see the pet rock sitting on the kitchen table as Papyrus was being taught about beer pong in the next room. You were sitting this game out, as it really wasn't your thing. You were happily drinking from a red cup, but that didn't mean you wanted to chug one. As Sans sat next to the rock while you stared at it incredulously, he could tell your hesitancy was removed from the alcohol. 

"Haha, why sprinkles? Is it a monster thing? Oh, sorry, if that was a weird question but it's so cute??" You were actually enjoying yourself and he wondered how often you'd been holding this excited personality back. 

He smiled and swirled his 'drink' which was actually just chips in a red solo cup. A part of him wondered if your lowered inhibitions would make you more likely to talk about things you were normally calm and collected with your first answers. 

There had been some small but terrible groups of humans patrolling the campus lately, shouting how monsters shouldn't be allowed. Your previous commentary on them discussed your sadness that people were like this and how they fear what they don't understand, and other things that sounded like a research paper. 

"so i heard that those anti monster groups were on campus again, today?" 

Your eyes suddenly shot open and you set your drink down. "Yes, the BASTARDS, everyone was just trying to finish their midterms and they just came in like assholes??" 

He actually fumbled with his cup and lost a pretzel stick. He'd never actually heard you curse before. You noticed he was surprised and tried to backpedal.

"Sorry, I mean, I'm not because they are terrible people who are fuckw-I MEAN JERKS, who are causing chaos for no fuckin---shit-- sorry, no reason??"

By this point his grin was huge. You were apologizing for cursing, not your brutal honesty. And it was entertaining as hell. You apparently had a sailor's mouth you kept covered under politeness. 

You went on with your rant while the group in the next room decided they would go outside to play the stump game. Some other drinking game? Papyrus popped his head in to invite you, but Sans waved him off with a smile. You were venting and it appeared cathartic so he figured you wouldn't mind. 

"--and so in conclusion? ……..Eff them and the horse they rode in on" you finished your drink but got up to get another from the fridge. It was comforting to Sans that you felt comfortable enough with his household and family to get probably more than tipsy when you were normally so reserved. 

After you excused yourself to use the restroom again, the skeleton wondered if he should bring up the conversation from a few months ago. The fact it stirred you up and then quickly shut you up made him curious as to your true thoughts. Also he secretly hoped bringing it up at this point would let him apologize without making it too awkward. 

You came back a little less worked up, but your face was flushed as your body slowly processed the alcohol. You peaked out the window to see your classmates trying to use a hammer while intoxicated and even in your state you knew you did not want to get involved with that. Instead you grabbed some cookies and sat back down with your drink next to Sans.

"took you a while; did you beat up some racists on the way?" 

Your face perked up and you gave a plotting smile "I will FITE" And you even jokingly lifted your arms in fisticuffs. 

He laughed and decided to try to steer the conversation. "i didn't take you as a boxer. i thought you were more the type to use your fingers." And he wiggled his fingers slightly, wondering your reaction. Wait, why did he care again?

Your already flush face paused and took a few seconds to process. Suddenly you jumped back to your previous attitude, deciding it was too difficult to be self conscious while buzzed. "You know there can be some mean ticklers out there," you made the same motion back at him, but quickly drew back as you grabbed your drink again and looked out the window. "But they might be into that so, nah. I'd rather 'accidentally' lock them outside during a tornado." 

His face went blue. You didn't see it but he actually blushed. What the hell? Why did he blush? His original plan was to learn "information" but now he doesn't know what he wants! Why did he want information on this? Why was he suddenly shy about it? This was weird. Too weird. He changed the topic to the dark humor of terrible people being trapped in a tornado and you didn't seem to notice or mind. Eventually, the group came inside, sobered up (mostly) and went home through safe transportation. 

You fell asleep that night and woke with a hangover. Sans didn't sleep much at all.


	2. Worm on a string

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Learn to pay attention before getting ahead of yourself.

A week break, and your team started up their meetings at the skeleton house once again. It was clearly a stressful day as you and your peers appeared to be overwhelmed by sudden announcements of final projects due in a few of your classes. You gathered with the team, an energy drink in hand, and for the next hour you all outlined what you'll be doing to meet the professor's deadlines. 

Once moral started to slip, Papyrus stood up cheerfully and closed his book. "WELL IT'S TIME FOR A BREAK!" your classmates appeared relieved as they too, got up and stretched. "I HAVE PROCURED A BALL TO PLAY FOOTBALL WITH, OR AS IT'S ALSO KNOWN AS, SOCCER" 

Some of your team hooped and hollered as they headed outside and you waved them off as usual. Then closed your book, finished your drink, and went to use the restroom.

\-----

Sans sat on the couch where he played around with a bright pink worm-on-a-string while watching infomercials on mute. As you came back, you plopped down on the couch next to him and glanced at the TV. 

"How long have they been talking about this product?"

"at least 40 minutes" 

"..... It's a ladder." You stared at the commercial like a car crash. It's probably why Sans was watching, too. 

He smirked and looked at you as you tried to figure out the commercial's secret message. Spoiler alert, it was to buy their ladder. "so i heard from papyrus that you're going to be in a musical next month. Are you going to be tickling the ivories?" 

His question made you look away from the TV with five stages of confusion. It was rather comedic. 

"...." You paused, trying to figure out his question. Your eyes darting back and forth as if working out a calculation "Okay, so …. One: I'm just a stage hand." You started, literally counting on your hand. "Two: ….what are you really asking?" And you turned to look him in the face for some kind of motive.

He shrugged. The week had given him his confidence back since he knew you would indulge in clarifications. "just curious about human play fighting again." It had been a while and he wasn't sure if you remembered your rambunctious attitude from last week, so he made sure to remind you of the discussion from over two months ago.

You blinked a few times, then also shrugged, now more relaxed. Something about being seen as a resource of information was appealing to you. "Okay, sure, what did you want to know?" Despite your calm voice, your body seemed a bit jittery. 

"i dunno. why do people like it? isn't it just your body acting against your will?" He flicked the pink worm back and forth and over his hands as he spoke.

You watched the worm and tried to think of an answer. "Hm. Well, have you ever laughed at a bad joke you hated to admit was funny? It's not unpleasant."

He grinned. "all my jokes are good jokes" but he also knew you constantly heard his brother commenting on them. Sans was the master of easy and bad puns. "...but i get what you're putting down. so, just laughing without jokes? sounds kinda boring."

Again, your face gave a calculated look. "Are you… not ticklish?" A valid question. Maybe a weird one for humans but a genuine question for a magical skeleton. You shifted in place as your leg was getting jittery. 

Another shrug. "dunno. tickling isn't really a thing underground." He then too his worm and "wiggled" it over his hands. "see, nothin'" 

Your face was skeptical. "...While not impossible, it's usually pretty difficult to tickle yourself. Do you mind?" You motioned for the worm and his hand. 

Curious himself, the skeleton complied and offered you the worm…. It moved when you tried to grab it.  
And again.  
And again  
... And again.  
His grin getting bigger each time. And just before you were going to give up, he handed it over and offered his wrist limply at you. 

Okay, that was embarrassing, but you have to admit it was also kind of funny. At least no one else saw. Not to mention despite his teasing, he was still honest about his offer. 

You turned his hand palm up and held the worm by the nose, its tail acting as the experimental tool. "Okay, so you want to be rel-"

His hand shot back immediately on the first touch. 

You blinked. Was that it? "So you are ticklish, then?"

Cradling his hand in the other he looked back at you both surprised and confused. "i don't know? it just felt like i needed to pull back." Slowly he offered his hand back again. 

Seeing him offer his hand back to you gave you slight concern. "Are you sure? It's not supposed to be uncomfortable. You need to relax but you also need to hold still in this case." 

He nodded his head for consent and after a moment you held his hand ready again. His fingers twitched slightly as you started up. Dragging the craft worm over his fingertips didn't show too much reaction, other than he did react to light touches, despite appearing as nerveless bone. 

The work then moved lower, and your circled the 'palm' of his hand, the pink tail of the worm dipping in between the bone. His hand and face twitched a little. There was silence until he pulled back quickly, shaking his head. "pff...heh heh, okay, that was something. not sure what, though"

You tilted your head, much like a curious dog. "Like was it itchy? Or did it make you smile?" 

He looked off to the side, his grin still lingering. "heh… i guess i do have a funny bone, after all." He stood up, not quite facing you, but pulling his sleeves down after pocketing the worm-on-a-string. You stood up to follow, but then quickly fell back down on the couch making a noise of confusion.

Sans quickly turned to look at you, his shyness suddenly fine. "woah, are you okay?"

But before you could respond, your vision went black… and white in an encounter. Sans stood across from you, a box popped up and he performed a check on you. 

Y/N  
HP: 68  
AT: 5  
DF: 20  
Forgot to eat lunch yet chugged an entire energy drink

"heh, looks like you should hit up the fridge-"

This wasn't your first encounter. But you can't say you expected it. You read the flavor text that he could also read. You quickly scrolled right and hit SPARE. 

On Sans side, your name turned yellow. But the Check button flashed, like something had changed. He hit check again.

Y/N  
HP: 68  
AT: 7  
DF: 25  
Is wondering what your angle was five minutes ago. 

He tilted his head, curious. Your name flashed yellow, he wondered if you had a different angle. Why were you thinking about that now? Did you like making him laugh? Did you like to yourself? He clicked check again, hoping for another flavor text. 

Y/N  
HP: 68  
AT: 9  
DF: 35  
Do you think this is a fucking ga--

Swipe right, flee. 

The colors return and only now Sans can see the irritation in your eyes. 

"I'm gonna go play soccer." Your voice was firm. You really weren't a sports person. And the door closed behind you before he had a moment to respond. 

The TV was still advertising some stupid ladder. But the time it changed into an hour long blender commercial, everyone but you had come back inside. The shorter girl from your class came inside and took your bags outside before they started studying again. There was chatter and laughter but the living room felt so quiet. He hardly noticed when everyone left.

\-------

The TV was on mute. It felt like his brain was on mute. He didn't even hear Papyrus approach with a copy of the college newspaper. 

WHAP-WHAP-WHAP  
The newspaper smacked the back of Sans head until he came out of his fog. 

"h-hey, bro! watch out, i'm delicate!" His arms shot up until his brother stopped. 

"MY ONLY INTENT IS TO KNOCK SOME SENSE INTO YOU, BROTHER!" it was strange to see his brother so worked up. "FIRST, I NORMALLY WOULDN'T ASK YOU WHY Y/N WAS PLAYING SPORTS, UNTIL I FOUND OUT THAT YOU WERE INVOLVED." He huffed and crossed his arms, the paper going limp implying he was done using it. 

He paused. "did they say something about me?"

"THEY REALLY COULDN'T WHEN THE FOOTBALL HIT THEM SQUARE IN THE MOUTH." 

Sans expression suddenly changed, you were hurt? "are they oka-"

"YES." Papyrus cut him off. "BUT WHEN I OFFERED TO HEAL THEM, THEY HAD A VERY INTERESTING FLAVOR TEXT. SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF 'AT LEAST YOU ASK IF I WANT YOU TO CHECK ME, UNLIKE YOUR BROTHER'" 

Panic. "wait, it actually mentioned me?"

"NO." His anger lowered, but disappointment covered his face. "BUT THAT CONFIRMED IT, DIDN'T IT." 

Well, that guilt was heavy. He scraped his hands across his skull in stress. "i'm sorry, paps, i didn't mean t-" 

"I'M NOT THE ONE YOU SHOULD BE APOLOGIZING TO." He went back to the table where he started cleaning up the scrap papers and empty cups. "BUT I NEED YOU TO FIX THIS SOONER THAN LATER."

Well. Shit. And to think he finally was able to start that discussion again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You done messed up say-anus


	3. It's show time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's go to a play and learn valuable lessons. With threats.

The next week, the study group was cancelled as they all suddenly had surprise labs since the teacher assistant left and the professor decided to take their emotions out on the class. The start of the next week was the next month, and the opening of the musical you were in. He hasn't seen you since, so Sans still didn't have a chance to apologize. Which may have been for the best because he still had no idea what to say.

Papyrus had already seen your dress rehearsal as he had some official monster mascot tasks during opening night. Sans figured he would go alone and maybe figure out how he was going to apologize during the play. He can wing it, right? Yeah, he can do that. He'll have an apology ready, mix in some puns from the play and it'll be good again. He noticed you did have the tendency to accept apologies if they are good enough.

He walked along the campus sidewalk and saw groups of monsters and humans heading in the same direction. He got a few stares, as the only other skeleton monster was his brother who was significantly more outspoken and probably waved to everyone. Figuring it was worth his brother's reputation, he gave a few waves and smiled in their direction, but continued walking. Most reactions were friendly, but there was a stouter girl with curly black hair looking at him suspiciously. She flicked her cigarette and watched as he walked by. Well, Sans was already at the theatre, so he paid for his ticket and went inside, hoping she just had resting-stink-eye face.

\----

The play was good. He didn't see you, which means you did great. It was some kind of older play where the daughters rebelled against their parent's wishes. And there was a really good violinist sitting on top of a shed. He felt like if he knew more surface history, it would make more sense. The actors came out and bowed. Then some individuals dressed black; he recognized your face but you weren't looking in his direction. The staff walked off stage and an announcement said signatures would be given in the lobby. He glanced at the play leaflet and figured that would be a good opening to an apology. He still… wasn't sure how the rest would go. Instead of thinking of what he would say, the songs from the play were still bouncing around in his skull.

Just as he was about to head to the lobby, the figure with dark curls approached him, blocking his way. "Are you Papyrus' brother?"

A pause. "depends, are you his friend?" He asked, not sure what the stranger's intentions were.

She rolled her eyes and nodded her head. Apparently that was all the confirmation she needed, and she promptly glared right at his face.

"Yeah, okay. Listen. You need to watch your fucking back if you're continuing the way you are with Y/N, because I am not afraid to break your kneecaps and keep them as souvenirs."

Wait, what? For a moment he was defensive against the threat, but now HE'S the threat? Against you?

"now wait a minute, how did you-?"

"Oh, they didn't tell me it was you exactly, but the fact they wouldn't give me a name and suddenly didn't have anything to say about "Papyrus' brother" when they came home that night? Yeah, I figured it out."

Home? This human didn't look related to you. We're they…?

"So listen here, you little shit-"

Low blow.

"Knowing Y/N, they'll probably forgive you if you ask, but you better fucking mean it." She pointed at you menacingly. "Y/N is my best friend and the best fucking roommate I've ever had, so if you fuck with their kindness I WILL find you and I WILL make it look like an accident."

He backed up slightly against the cheap wooden theatre chairs. He knew he could take her, but if she had some kind of karma powers too, it sure sounds like he would have some difficulty.

"And I bet I know your type." She continued. "They're just some game or puzzle you can figure out and get what you want from, but you need to know they are a god-damned person who deserves respect. So if I find out you've been--" she stopped.

From the corner of his socket, Sans could see multiple black dressed figures heading out into the lobby, probably now finished putting away supplies and ready to head home.

The girl clasped her mouth shut but gave Sans one final stare before walking past him and towards you. Behind the crowds he could see her approach you and you gave her a hug. Some discussion that looked like a 'congratulations' and plans after the play. You appeared to turn down her initial suggestion but motioned a different plan. She agreed and you both looked happy.

For a moment, you looked at his direction and froze. There was no fear or anger, but there wasn't a happy surprise either.

Suddenly, Sans couldn't think of an improv apology. He didn't know what to say; the words from your...roommate? They were still jumping around in his head, even over the musical numbers. Before you could look away, he smiled, gave a thumbs up, and then motioned he was heading home. You nodded your head in agreement and seemed relieved, although slightly confused.

As he shuffled out the building with all the students, he caught sight of your roommate once again. This time she didn't glare, but watched him with caution. If he had a throat, he'd probably have a lump in it. He headed home.

\----

Sans lay in bed that night and stared at the ceiling. Images and songs of the play were stuck in his head, but so was the guilt of what your roommate said. If it wasn't true, then why did he feel guilty?

_"I know your type"_

Did he see you as a puzzle? ….No! He liked talking to you! You made him smile, and he could learn all about his brother and human things, and you would tell him without question, and he could use you as a resource to-

He froze. Oh stars, he was treating you like a robotic encyclopedia. True, he was developing some closer connection to you, but if he really thought about it, he WAS using you. His hands covered his face and scraped against the skull on the way down. Yeah, there were aspects of his personality he learned by watching you that he really liked, but had he ever asked anything about you without a motive? He didn't know your favorite color. Or even your favorite food. How did he never know you had a roommate? Are you and her a…. He shook his head. Asking that question also seemed kind of selfish.... Why? Why did it bother him if you and her were an item? Was he jealous? ….Did he deserve to be?

He squinted his sockets closed and tried to focus on the main goal: how to not be a fuck up again.

Step one: apologize  
Step two: don't ever do that thing again. Checking. Specifically ask before…  
ask... before….  
SHIT, IT WAS ABOUT CONSENT.  
IT WAS ABOUT CONSENT. HE WAS SUCH AN ASSHOLE????

He shot up and started pacing his room. Wow, way to go! Way to be a total fuck up! Way to not even realize it until now!! Fuck fuck fuckfuckfuckingf-

Four rapid knocks hit his door until Papyrus opened his room and peered in. The taller brother noticed a look of stress, as though something was tearing him away at the inside.

"BROTHER, I KNOW I HAVE THE 'MATCHMAKER' SONG STUCK IN MY HEAD TOO, BUT CAN YOU PLEASE TONE DOWN YOUR PACING? I HAVE A QUIZ FIRST THING TOMORROW MORNING AND I NEED TO HAVE AT LEAST A FEW HOURS OF UNINTERRUPTED SLEEP."

Sans paused and swallowed the imaginary lump. "yeah, sure thing, bro."

His brother looked relieved and was about to close the door.

"....hey, paps? is your study group meeting tomorrow as usual?"

"YES. BUT THEY MAY BE IN A SOUR MOOD AFTER THIS QUIZ. I WISH WE HAD TIME TO GET TOGETHER FOR THIS ONE... GOODNIGHT."

"goodnight, paps." He waved and his brother closed the door behind him. It sounded like his morning class was kicking everyone's ass. The last they needed was him still not apologizing.

\------

Someone brought several therapy pizzas with them as the team met up to study. The room smelled of disappointment, but also cheese and pepperoni, so that did help lift the mood. As the group excused itself for another game of basketball before dusk, you stood up to get another slice. A skeleton knocked on the door frame.

"i don't suppose it's not too late for apologies?"

You immediately turned his direction and blinked. You still had some walls up, but damn if that didn't open the dam. "....I'm listening"

He nodded his head, a big relief that he's getting a chance. "listen i… i messed up. I like talking to you, but i shouldn't have kept digging for information in your check… i should have just asked you face to face. it was a breach of trust and privacy and I understand if you don't want to talk to me again, but i hope you can still feel comfortable in our home. if you want me to leave it go upstairs during the study group-"

"It's fine." You cut him off. "You don't have to leave during our studies."

You still looked hesitant, and Sans figured this was the best he'll get. At least he didn't mess up Papyrus' friendship. There was an unbearably long pause.

"Do you mean it? ….Really?" You asked. He remembered your roommate saying you'd probably forgive him. How many times have you forgiven someone? How many times has that hurt you?

"absolutely. and you have full permission to hit me with a rolled up newspaper if i make any mistakes."

You laughed at the oddly specific response. He was relieved to see you smile again. "..okay"

A big grin. He fixed this, he actually fixed this. And you still wanted to hang out with him! And you didn't hate his non-existent guts! And you were smiling! "heh, that is, if your roommate doesn't get to me first"

You smiled again, but then put some pieces together and your smile fell just a little "Oh, I thought I saw Layla talking to you…. Sorry, I hope she wasn't too brutal." You seemed to be only slightly embarrassed by this information, but you also seemed to be familiar with it. "Did she mention her major assisting her in hiding a body?..... " You paused if to consider something "Except that would be different between monsters and humans, huh…." But shook your head out of that thought process.

He still didn't know your relationship with Layla, but figured now was not the time to ask. "only threatened to take my kneecaps, no big deal, maybe i'd get them back one day." He joked.

You have a slight laugh, then had that look of trying to figure something out again. "So you can remove body parts and still use them?"

He shrugged "yeah, being a skeleton has that advantage"

Your next question came out a little too quickly "Can you still feel them? Like if she took your kneecaps? Not saying she would! I'm just curious…. Sorry if that's too far."

He hesitated but before giving out such vunerable information and asked "why do you want to know?"

And your face went flush. "Oh well, human knees can… hahaha, nevermind, nevermind"

His soul gave a hum of excitement as he tried to control the color on his face. Oh. OH. the last time you got blushy… and you know what? He was super relieved now that even after forgiving him you still want to have these conversations with him!

He grinned slightly "well if you ever kneed to ask, i can answer."

Your nervous laughter became a little more relaxed, but your blush remained. "Okay."

He posted and glanced out the window at the rest of the class "by the way, can i ask you something?"

Your face calmed down and you visibly looked prepared to be a textbook again "Sure, what do you need to know?"

"what's your favorite color?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to establish the importance of communication, trust, and respect when discussing this topic, and in this Ted talk I will


	4. I'm here if you kneed me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A movie and some laughs. We finally go to the start of what you actually came here for! 
> 
> If you haven't seen the movie in question, please check the notes to see what scene they were talking about.

Another week, another study group. This time it was Friday night and some of your group were planning on attending some kind of campus Greek party event. You certainly weren't going, and even Papyrus turned down the invitation. You stretched and slowly put your books back in your bag and everyone already packed up and left. Even Sans noticed your reluctance to get going. Of course, only Papyrus said anything.

"Y/N! SINCE YOU ARE HEADING HOME, DID YOU NEED A RIDE?" he asked, wiping off the table with a washcloth to get rid of snack crumbs. 

You shrugged "Nah, I'll probably just walk." You shifted the bag slowly on your back. "I'm done for the day, and Layla went home for the weekend, so I'm not in a rush to head back." 

Another thing Sans noticed was while you weren't very social, you also didn't isolate yourself. If everyone including Sans was outside, you'd go outside, too. Much like a stage hand, you were always in the background, but still participating. His brother must have noticed that, too. He rinsed out the washcloth and began digging in the cabinets.

"NONSENSE! WE SHOULD HAVE OUR OWN GET TOGETHER WITHOUT THE SHENANIGANS OF THE CAMPUS. I CAN MAKE SPAGHETTI AND WE CAN WATCH A MOVIE! IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE SCHOOL RELATED!" 

Before you could answer, pots and pans were already banging together and even a strange but pleasant hum came from the taller brother. Hosting this small event seemed to make him fairly happy, so who were you to object? "That sounds nice" you replied to no one in particular. 

You sloughed off your bag back in the chair, and then went to the kitchen to offer any assistance. Ultimately, you helped clean up the cutting board, wipe some counters, and set the table, but not much else. Once dinner was ready, you all went to the couch to eat your meal; Papyrus carrying an extra bowl for his brother. 

\----

Time passed. You decided to watch some random movies people had suggested Papyrus watch. This one was titled "Scott Pilgrim vs the World" it was a little strange but that seemed to be the point. Just after finishing the battle with the 4th evil ex, Papyrus received a phone call and left the room. After a few moments, he came back in looking a little guilty.

"OH Y/N, I KNOW I WAS PLANNING TO SPEND THE REST OF THE EVENING HANGING OUT WITH YOU, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THINGS WENT A LITTLE STRANGE AT THAT ROMAN PARTY AND I'LL HAVE TO LEAVE TO DRIVE OUR CLASSMATES HOME. I COULD DRIVE YOU HOME NOW, OR IF YOU'D LIKE YOU CAN FINISH THE MOVIE WITH SANS UNTIL I GET BACK. IT… MAY BE A BIT, NOT EVERYONE LIVES ON CAMPUS" he pocketed his phone and looked at you with a face of someone who let you down. 

"Oh, no, it's fine, Papyrus." You replied, hoping to calm his guilt. "I'm having fun here. I'll finish the movie with Sans and we can fill you in when you get back. It's Friday so I don't have anywhere to be." 

The taller skeleton looked a little less sad, but pulled out his car keys and headed for the door. "OKAY, BUT I'LL MAKE IT UP TO YOU LATER." he waved and headed out. Sure he is a dedicated friend, but he was also responsible enough to put the safety of the others as a priority. You were safe here. Plus he seemed to notice you didn't mind hanging out with Sans so it wouldn't be awkward.

The door shut, and Sans turned to you while pausing the movie. After a brief moment of unusual silence, he gave a sly smile.

"so… human knees can do something, huh?" He joked, in reference to the previous scene in the movie.*

You suddenly turned to him, your face as red as a tomato as you froze up "Not like that!!!" You squeaked, but quickly smiled and shoved him slightly with your hand. 

He laughed, especially because it caught you off guard by such a degree. "I don't know, you seemed blushy about it yesterday, too." 

"OhMyGodShutUp??!?" You pressed your hands to your cheeks, trying to hide the bright color. Long forgotten was the rest of the movie, for all that existed now was embarrassment.

"heh, why don't you make me?" He asked, his fingers up and giving a wiggle.

Your head suddenly snapped back into focus as you looked in his direction. He tried to keep his smile, but it faltered as he worried he was too forward. Shit. That was probably inappropriate?

You started to stutter, appearing confused. Was he asking what you think he was asking?

Panic. He didn't want the friendship he finally got back to go to waste again "i mean, no pressure. i don't want you to feel like you have to. if you're not comfortable with that, i'll take it back like it didn't happen, we can forget-"

"So wait, you're really asking me to…. To tickle you?" You sat back and asked for needed clarification lest you make a fool of yourself. 

A nervous smile. He respected your persistence for consent but are you really going to make him ask for it like that? He gave a nervous chuckle and tried to play it off. "i mean, until you do, i'm going to think knees only react like that way in the movie, so now it's the best time to teach me, i guess."

Okay. He confirmed it. You weren't sure if you got more riled up from the movie mention, or more relaxed as seeing it for an opportunity to teach. You wiped your face again, hoping to calm down your cheeks and cleared your throat. "Sure, okay"

"okay?"

"Okay." You repeated, and then scooted back on the couch and patted your leg furthest away from him. "If you rest your feet here, I can get better access where you can still see."

Oh shit, you're gonna look at his face while you do this? Blue dusted his face slightly, but he decided to nonchalantly pivot in his seat and lay on the couch. As he rested his legs in your lap, he crossed his arms behind his head and tried to look casual. "lay it on me, teach." 

"Alright so, the knee can actually be approached a couple ways-" yes, you were actually going to teach him. For some reason that made you less nervous and him more likely to ask or stop for questions, right? Using incredibly light touches, you tapped both sides of the top of the kneecap like a pinch. "Here," your hand then became a claw and each fingertip circled around his kneecap. "-Here," and then your hand dipped under his knee and four of your fingers curled slightly "-and here."

Already, he had a hard time looking in your direction; butterflies bouncing around his ribcage.. "heh, so i really do want to continue, but uh, is it starting soon or..?" 

You paused. Was he already wanting to stop? "If you don't want me to, we can stop. I just want you to know what's going to happen so-" 

He chuckled internally. He didn't know what was worse/better? It was teasing, but it was also the scientific method and he appreciated it but- "let it happen, i'm ready" he announced, a little more enthusiastic than usual.

"Oh. Okay, well, since I'm here…" you rested your free hand on the leg your hand wasn't under, then started to rapidly curl your fingers under his kneecap, much like scratching the neck of a cat. 

Immediately his free leg (the one your hand was under) started bouncing up and down, but didn't pull away. His face grinned and tightened and you could tell he was trying really hard not to laugh. Your hand didn't raise when he lifted his leg, he was in control if he wanted your fingers to touch there or not. Quickly, chuckles started to erupt. 

"O-o-ohhh, shi-it, tthat tickles, snk-heh-" Leg up, leg down, leg up, leg down... after a few moments, he stopped lowering his leg back down. His body still shaking as he tried to calm down. You let him; waiting to see how he wanted to proceed. He took a few breaths and calmed down slightly "okay, okay, a different spot now…" the grin still plastered on his face. 

You moved your hand and he lowered his leg once again. Once you figured he was calm enough for a second round, your hand became a claw and lightly surrounded his kneecap with fingertips. A quick grasp and a feather-light pull, you lightly scraped your fingernails on his kneecap as your hand lifted. It then lowered back to its original position and started again. At first he was more surprised by the light and sudden movements, but after a few repeat motions, the smile spread lightly again as he watched you. 

His body wasn't really laughing, but it wasn't...not laughing! "t-that's really light, heh, i- heh heh, i-... " he had moments where he forced the smile away, but it kept coming back. 

After a moment his hand waved at yours and he lifted his leg out of reach. He seemed out of breath. Was he holding his breath? "that's almost too light, heh, i don't think i can keep doing that, heh" his face was bluer than earlier. To be on the cusp of giggles rather than actually laughing? That was harder than he expected?? 

You gave a slight apologetic look but smiled and motioned, asking if he'd like to continue to the last location. He pulled his leg back and rubbed his knee cap slightly, to get the tingles out, but then returned it to your lap and nodded his head. For science.

Your hand hovered, but you seemed unsure. "Well in humans… this could technically be used up the entire leg, but I'm not sure with skeletons… I have noticed you react more where the bones connect, but then your femur may not provide that reaction. Can I try just slightly above your knee?" You asked, looking at him.

He tried his best not to turn into a bright blue light. You noticed where he was most sensitive? Were you keeping notes? Did he find that actually kind of exciting? Was he taking too long to answer?? "heheh, sure, knock yourself out" he tried to respond as casually as possible. 

You nodded your head and positioned your fingers about an inch or two above the kneecap. A squeeze and you looked up. He stared back. Was that supposed to tickle? You moved only one inch up from that and tried again. No reaction. Your hypothesis was correct and somehow that impressed him more than the disappointment that he couldn't feel the same things you did.

Your hand stopped and lifted and you gave a slight shrug. "Okay, back to the knee." Just like that, you pinched right above his kneecap, ever so slightly nudging it with your thumb and pointer finger. And then you kept doing it with calm but rapid squeezes.

Sans' casual face suddenly faltered and his arms shot out from behind his head and quickly over his face. The room suddenly echoed with his cackles as his sockets squeezed shut and he tried everything in his power to keep his leg in place. It bounced tremendously, but your fingers continued to go with those consistent squeezes as you watched his reaction. His head shook back and forth and his foot stomped on the arm rest. He seemed to be enjoying himself, and made no effort to stop you, so you continued. 

Were you ever going to stop??? His mind wandered. Did he want you to? He kind of wanted to see if he could withstand this but he wasn't sure if he could last??? He liked it but also his body was screaming? And did his laughter just snort? How does a skeleton make a snort noise??

After about thirty seconds that felt like thirty minutes, he rolled off the couch and into a heap of giggles on the floor. He could hear you asking if he was okay, but he could still feel your ghost touches on him, even though he had rolled away from you. At some point you left the couch.

A little later you came back with a glass of water and asked again if he was okay. Once he had the strength to sit back up and catch his breath, he took the glass from you and gave a thumbs up as he tried to calm down his laughter enough to take a few sips.

"Sorry if that was too hard" you apologized as you sat back down on the couch, near where he was on the floor. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself, so I just kept going"

His already blue face wasn't going to calm down after that comment. 

"yeah i… i was. it's fine." He finally got a sip of water that was bigger than a milliliter. "I wanna ask you a favor though…" 

You nodded in agreement.

"can i.. see what it's like for humans? the femur thing? if that's okay?" He was pretty curious and figured it was fair after all that. But he was also okay if you weren't.

"Oh. Uh. Sure!" You had a nervous smile of anticipation on your face, but you pulled your arms back with one on the armrest and the other to your side. 

He looked down and your legs. You were wearing regular jeans, so he didn't feel like a creeper if he were to try different spots up your thigh. Looking up at your face for any dissent, he reached down and gave a pinch.

Nothing. He tried another location.

Nothing. Maybe he was doing it wrong? 

Another but this time it seemed to work and he also gave some rapid squeezes, just like you did.

Immediately your straight posture fell back and you squirmed quickly with squeaks and snorts. Only five seconds in and you already gave up and were batting his hand to stop. 

He let go but couldn't stop himself from laughing at your reaction. Here he was worried his resolve was low, but he lasted a lot longer than you did! For some reason you had a hard time calming down and both of your laughter fueled the other.

The room was bouncing with giggles as Papyrus opened the door to the house. Neither of you heard him approach and he glanced at the TV, still surprised the movie was where he left it. "WERE YOU TWO JUST TELLING JOKES THIS WHOLE TIME?" 

You both tried to hold in a laugh, but you already were doomed with a case of the giggles. After a moment you offered to finish the movie with the taller skeleton and he seemed pleased with that suggestion.

\----

After the movie, Sans waved goodbye and Papyrus took you home. At least you didn't feel lonely now going back to an empty house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the movie, Ramona tells Scott the 4th evil ex's weakness was just under the kneecap. When I watched it years ago, I had initially assumed she was ticklish? Nope. The movie quickly proved me wrong as you find out it was actually a weird erogenous zone specifically for that character. She climaxed into coins. Looking back that movie was... Something.


	5. Being hip and spooky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus is ready for a fun outing, and Sans gets to join for this bone-rattling event.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haunted house theme. It's a lighthearted chapter but I guess if you really hate haunted house descriptions or discussion of fear, you might pass. 
> 
> I'll be honest though I liked this chapter.

Papyrus really wanted to make it up to you. You assured him multiple times that the fact he hosted the studying events at his house was more than enough, but that wasn't the answer he was looking for. He began taking smaller steps to his next class so he could bounce ideas off of you at your slow pace. Every time he'd recommend something, you'd agree, but he just wasn't satisfied at your enthusiasm. 

He was at this for over a week. You didn't mind the company, but it did kind of stress you out a little. Not enough to tell him; again, you did enjoy someone talking to you, but you just couldn't think of something. 

One day, you passed by some major billboards and it caught your eye. The HAUNTED FOREST. You loved Halloween and you loved big events circling around the holiday. None of that abandoned warehouse, eerie pitches and rumors of ghosts, shit. This was specifically made with the spirit of Halloween and a total good time. it was a little far out of town, but maybe there was a bus route or you could get an Uber. You bet if you bribbed Layla, she would go with you.

Suddenly, two skeleton hands rested on each of your shoulders and tightened with excitement "YES, THIS IS PERFECT!"  
\-----

You sat in the back of a fancy red car. You don't know car types, but the fact Papyrus insisted on wearing driving gloves made it look extra fancy. It also didn't help that you sat in the back with Sans, while the passenger seat was empty. It felt like you were being chauffeured and just over the top for a good spooky event. 

Once she heard the skeleton brothers were going with you, Layla gave a hard pass on the event. By that point she knew Sans must have apologized, Papyrus could easily protect you, and she also afraid would probably punch an actor and feel bad about it. She wished you well and to have fun. Meanwhile she was going to stream Hocus Pocus and eat candy. 

Despite feeling awkward about the ride, the moment you saw the orange lights in the distance, you perked up with wonder. It took everything not to start vibrating from excitement. Sans peeked over and must have noticed you holding back. Barely, your head was craneing around to get a better view between the chairs and windows.

"you like getting scared or something? or is it about screaming, like a roller coaster?" He asked, not seeing the appeal.

Your face blanked out as you realized you were still around others in the car. "Oh! Uhm, not really?" You paused and tried to think of a good explanation. "It's actually kind of funny for me? Everyone is here having a good time and it's always so creative, I usually just laugh?" You shrugged. It was hard to explain. "Sometimes that's a human response to fear. So maybe it is like how people are with rollercoasters, haha"

The car finally found a parking spot and Papyrus opened the door for the both of you. "I AM SO EXCITED TO PARTAKE IN THIS HUMAN HOLIDAY WITH YOU! EVEN IF THE NAKED SKELETON PARTS EVERYWHERE ARE A LITTLE ODD." 

You shrugged, as you knew this wasn't their first Halloween and it was probably already explained to them. Luckily, this particular location wasn't super focused on skeletons. There were lots of fake corpses, zombies, pirates, and other figures to try and scare you with. 

As you approached, you paid for your ticket from the guy with an axe through his face. Papyrus appeared to mimic your enthusiasm, watching you closely, while Sans just seemed suspicious. There were two sections, one haunted building and the other was the infamous haunted forest. Choosing the building first, you knew you could help get them into the spirit. 

The building was going for a twisted hospital vibe, but it was still in an old house, so nothing was really medical except some beds and fake bodies in gowns. There appeared to be twisted nurses and doctor actors, but they were just there to look at you and make you nervous and make sure you headed the right direction. 

"Enjoy your stay…" one doctor said with an eerie smile.

You smiled back and quipped "I intend to!" 

The taller skeleton in his autumn colored sweater smiled at your response and seemed to finally understand your enjoyment. Meanwhile Sans glanced between you and the actors and seemed confused. 

"YOU CAN NEVER LEAVE!!" An actor dressed as a patient with a bat suddenly sprung out as a fellow customer ahead of you screamed in response. They ran ahead into the closet which actually was a doorway into the next room. 

The 'patient' then looked at you directly into your eyes. In a split second, you lost composure and started giggling through your lips. Knowing you weren't there target audience, he jumped over to Papyrus and got in his face as well.

"THEY'LL NEVER LET YOU GO!!" 

Papyrus glanced at you, then smiled at the actor "THAT SOUNDS ROMANTIC?" he smiled at you, realizing this was how you enjoyed the event and now he wanted to try the same response. 

The actor was already wearing a crazed grin, but he couldn't break character. Instead he walked up to Sans, cocked his head, and gave a fake lunge in his direction. The older brother flinched, sealing his fate. The actor then moved to the next group and started yelling as you headed into the next room. 

\---

Each room was a little different. One tried to mimic the Exorcist, with a little body crawling around on the ceiling. Other rooms were dark and had inflated obstacles that you had to navigate around. Some actors were 'pleading' for you to help them, but their 'bodies' were already too dismembered for them to move. It was all very creative and you would catch yourself looking at a few in particular to see how they worked. Papyrus even spoke up a few times and pointed to small details lining the walls. Older pictures suddenly missing people who would then walk by in a daze. After a few more inflated obstacles and a mirror trick that made you think you were walking in a ledge, you left the house and headed to the next queue. 

"THAT WAS REALLY WELL DONE!" Papyrus exclaimed; his arms moving around as he described things you just saw. It really was a performance and he appreciated everyone staying in character 

Sans just… held his hard grin, but you could tell it was forced. You all stopped in line on the fallen hay next to the wooden fence and corn fields as you waited for the actor dressed as a twisted conductor to motion you forward. "Are you not having fun?" You asked softly, in Sans' direction. 

"i'm fine" he insisted, but not really answering your question.

You continued as though you didn't hear his answer. "Because if you're not having fun, we can stop." 

"i don't want to stop. i'm just still figuring it out." he avoided your gaze and pretended to focus on the black and white horror film being projected onto a white tarp for those waiting in line. 

You gave a small huff; he wasn't going to stop, but if he wasn't going to enjoy himself he was going to be a target. 

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE FEAR OF BIRDS…" Papyrus mentioned, watching the older movie. "IS IT THE FACT THEY TEND TO LEAVE TERRIBLE PRESENTS ON YOUR CAR HERE ON THE SURFACE?"

"Body horror" you replied, abandoning trying to comfort Sans who clearly didn't want it. "Unlike skeletons, humans have soft, vulnerable bits that birds can easily get with their beaks. Like eyes. I think actually when an animal dies suddenly, creatures will often go first for the eyes since they tend to rot first…"

You continued to discuss things like a wikipedia page to Papyrus as he learned about human attempts at horror. It was not putting Sans' mind at ease. What was the point? It seemed to click for his brother, but not for him. Why discuss death and ask the horrible ways to go when you could focus on living? Things like dumb TV shows and good food. Puns and teasing? He tried to lead his mind into that thought process but the zombies shuffling around and the screams from the sound system were not helping. 

\---

Your group of three walked through the forest, occasionally entering 'abandoned' structures that were occupied by actors and their scenes. You entered a cult scene to create the mood as they encouraged you to keep going forward, as though it would benefit them. Strange animal skulls lined the walls. A human skull if you looked close enough. Papyrus tapped his teeth with his finger, trying to figure out the puzzle up ahead and what the actors were planning. 

You passed by another shack full of rusty tools and some large models of snakes and spiders. At one point you walked past an impressive foggy swamp with some kind of fiery geyser as you walked on uneven bridges; the sound of howling in the distance. You finally came upon some kind of strobe light set up with narrow constructed hallways of black and white moving platforms and walls (yes, still in the forest). There were actors dressed as killer clowns and if you looked closely enough, an actor hiding in camouflage with the same black and white pattern near the next door. Papyrus at this point was already excited, so he walked through the door at the end of the hallway ahead of you. Sans stopped moving, so the actors started their approach.

Both you and Sans knew the actors wouldn't touch him, but that didn't make him any less nervous. Sensing his unease, you motioned at the actors to wait and stepped back to take over his line of sight. His pupils a little smaller than normal.

"Hey…" you motioned, holding your hand up near his eyes to get his attention. You made it visually clear that you were going to hold his shoulder. Feeling no resistance, you continued to make your actions as clear as you could as you slid your arm across his back and over his other shoulder so you were hugging him from the side. "You just gotta walk through the door with me. Papyrus is waiting on the other side for us, let's go." 

He was still and unmoving at first, but the urgency of your legs pushed him along. Your free hand would occasionally rest on his other shoulder, or it lifted and gave a hand signal to the actors to step back. They did not move forward and only held their twisted smiles, as it was their job. Pushing through the door, the strobe lights stopped and you entered the forest again. The cheap plywood wall behind you giving the hint at what you just encountered. 

Only at that moment did you and Sans both realize he was shaking slightly. He didn't think he had a clown fear but it was something disorienting about those lights and colors that brought him to that state.

His taller brother looked back with concern, but you waved him off to keep progressing. It was something you both knew, from your nights studying together, that Sans did not like having attention brought to him, especially around his brother. Something about seeing your arms around him reassured him enough that he could trust you to help his brother get over what just happened. You were the Halloween expert, after all. 

"Do you want to stop?" You asked, your voice hushed. Every shack or so would have to note on how to leave if the patron did not want to continue. It was a rather long event and they were used to people leaving halfway. Sans shook his head no. 

"Do you want to take a break?" While it was discouraged since it messed up the timing of events, nobody would really get mad at them if they had to stop. He shook his head no, again. This time his shaking had finally stopped and he seemed a little embarrassed. 

"Do…. You want me to help…?" You asked, your face giving a small smile but also bracing in case he said no. Your fingertips squeezing slightly on his shoulder.

Sans paused, his embarrassment dropping. You can do that? It's that easy? "s-sure." He replied, not sure what you had in mind. 

Your smile softened and the hand that was guarding his shoulder moved to give his back a quick soothing rub, then lowered to rest on his hip as you continued to walk forward in a half hug motion. "Let me know if that's not okay" you whispered, letting him know he still had control. 

He flushed slightly, realizing how intimate this may have felt or looked, but upon realizing he definitely wasn't scared anymore, he decided he was okay. Nodding his consent, you then casually rested your other hand on his arm closest to you. It then hit him you may appear to be a couple, and maybe the actors treated couples different? Maybe he needed to appear more in character? You seemed to know how to motion towards the actors. Maybe he should too? Feeling a little silly as this looked one sided, he then moved his arm closest to you over your head and around your shoulder as well. 

Now your face flushed a little. It appeared you weren't expecting that. Yes actors treated couples different, but not the way Sans was probably thinking. 

For a moment, Papyrus glanced behind him to make sure you were still following. His bone brows raised and he quickly looked forward again, obviously pretending he saw nothing. He had SO MUCH he was going to tell Undyne and Alphys later. 

Another sharp howl rang out and you realized you were walking into an open area where the exit wasn't clear and multiple quick footsteps could be heard. Papyrus grinned, trying to figure out where they would pop out. Meanwhile, Sans went suddenly ridged. "Ready?" You asked, suddenly hugging him tighter. He had no idea what you were going to do, but quickly nodded his head in agreement. His hand tightened on your shoulder.

Suddenly the actors appeared! Wolfish costumes and clothing splattered in fake blood jumped out from the bushes. They gave sudden and loud growls as they invaded your personal bubbles in attempt to frighten. As a 'couple' you were definitely targeted. 

Both you and Sans jumped, but he suddenly and quickly gave a loud laugh, followed by a cascade of giggles. 

Your hand! Was squeezing his hip! Really fast! It tickled so much?? 

He practically leaned on your side and patted your arm to stop. You quickly did and gave a soft laughter alongside him. Even Papyrus, surprised by his brother's laughter, joined in after the slight spook. The actors, realizing their work was done, motioned towards where the next area was, and started crawling back into the forest. 

With the adrenaline from the scare, and the sudden tickling from your hand, he had a hard time calming down his laughter even though your hand remained still. "i...heh, heh, i didn't think that's what you were going to do..! snk-" 

You smiled half apologetic, half pleased. "The actors usually pass by people who are laughing, and it really defuses the situation…. Did you still want me to help?" 

He paused. His laughter behind his teeth. "...maybe." not really sure. You nodded your head and continued to walk with him while still in a side hug embrace. 

Your team walked down into an above ground cave system, an older car's lights were blinking as they peaked in from the roof. Some cages and glow in the dark items hung from the 'ceiling' and an actor started yelling at them to get out of his cave or he would make them. 

"THAT'S OKAY, I DIDN'T PLAN ON STAYING UNDERGROUND MUCH LONGER, ANYWAY." Papyrus joked. The actor suddenly dropped character as he realized only in that moment why his lines were changed from 'trapped forever down here' to 'get out of my cave' 

You glanced to the brothers as they watched the actor cover his mouth. As the group left, he recovered and quickly added "A-And stay out!!"

\---

Pirates suddenly jumped around with swords and threats to make you walk the plank and take your belongings. They occasionally came in waves with fake knives. You asked if Sans needed 'help' and he shook his head no. Instead he started throwing nautical puns at the actors who actually cheered as it was in character for them. They asked him to join their crew as a jolly roger. Good laughs.

Eventually, after about an hour total, you saw the familiar corn field near the entrance. You heard some screams and some kind of motor, and as you entered the field, you already knew what was coming from experience. 

You softly told Sans this was probably the finale and asked if he needed help. He paused and with a nervous grin, nodded his consent. 

Bursting from the stalks, a large actor with a fake skin mask revved his chainsaw and just started running at your group! 

"AAAH! AHAHHA! YOU REALLY GOT ME!" Papyrus exclaimed, giving a slight jump and quickly hurrying in the direction the actor was pushing him towards. 

What was funny was that Sans had started as a scream, too. Only now both his hands rested on your shoulders as he giggled helplessly against one of them; both your hands still squeezing, although slower now. He didn't ask you to stop so… you didn't? He seemed to be enjoying himself? His head rocked back and forth slightly as he laughed against you. After a few moments, his hands then lowered and he gave your hips a few squeezes as well; curious if it was the same on humans. 

Your hands suddenly jumped off his hips as you gave a small shriek followed by a few laughs and your hands suddenly wrapped around yourself. You both were giggling in close proximity of each other. 

The actor lifted his mask and casually spoke up "Exit is that way, I have to get ready for the next group." 

Both your faces flushed slightly more (when did your face get so hot?) And you both ran out, giggling like a bunch of middle schoolers, pulling each other by the hand

Finally exiting near the parking lot, you only looked forward as you saw a camera flash. "P-Papyrus!" You ran your hands over your face, not sure of just how red it was. 

He looked disappointed at his phone. "OH, I THOUGHT I HAD THE FLASH OFF…" 

The eye lights escaped from the shorter skeleton but his face was still lit up. Quickly drawing up his hood, he tried to grab the phone from his brother as casually as possible, but it was a losing battle as it was quickly pocketed and his car keys came into view. "I KNOW WE STILL HAVE A CLASS TOMORROW MORNING, SO WE SHOULD HEAD BACK, NOW." His grin was teasing. 

Getting into the car, you sat as you all were before. And as the street lights flashed by, you and Sans would occasionally glance at each other and have this face of trying to hold in a laugh before looking away again. 

"DID YOU HAVE FUN, Y/N?" The driver asked, clearly aware of the answer. 

"Yeah, I did." You replied, almost beaming.


	6. A good listener

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Better discussion of boundaries, and lending an ear.

It was the next week and next study group you saw the skeleton brothers again. To the trained eye, someone could tell Sans was a little excited to see you as he walked into the kitchen just after the announcement of Papyrus's scheduled break time. He smiled and you waved and you stood up and stretched. Your peers were clearing up a few items and slowly heading out. The taller kid, named Tyrell, glanced over and waited as well. 

"Here to hang out with Y/N again?" He asked in passing friendly conversation. The group all knew you hung out with Sans while they did some kind of sport. 

"yeah, well, these hips don't lie." He grinned, looking specifically at you for a reaction. 

There was no reaction. Your face would win in a poker match. If anything, as the seconds passed, you looked slightly confused as there was an awkward silence. Tyrell suddenly moved closer to you. 

"Is he bothering you? Did you want to hang out with us?" He asked quietly, although not enough that Sans couldn't hear him. Your peer was ready to be a wall to creepers. 

Sans' smile suddenly dropped. Was he being a creeper? Oh no, that's not what you intended. 

Jumping into action, you quickly looked surprised and gave a small laugh. "Oh! No, sorry. Brick joke. I was in study mode and it took a second to click." You laughed at yourself and waved Tyrell off. "Sorry, I'm fine, just a little slow today." 

He paused, but shrugged, now convinced by your response. You historically would miss social cues before, so this isn't much different. He headed outside after one last look, making sure you weren't in secret distress. Then he picked up the brown football and started running towards the group.

However, Sans wasn't convinced. "did i say something wrong...? i didn't intend to come off as-" 

"No-" you replied quickly, but also seemed unsure how to phrase it. "I mean-" you huffed. What were you trying to say? You weren't mad at Sans but you didn't want to get into that conversation around your peers. "To say that in front of someone else....I mean like I said, it's different for adults..?"

A pause. "... 'intimate or embarrassing'...?" He repeats, even moving his fingers in quotation marks. 

You flush. Maybe that wasn't the best choice of words. "N-no! I mean-" you take a quick breath and calm down, keeping professional. A small pause and you lift your hands forward, as offering the correct term. "Vulnerable. It's a vulnerability I'm okay sharing with you, but not necessarily with the rest of the study group."

Oh.

"oh."

He was both upset at himself for embarrassing you, but also flattered?? You were blunt about it. You always were when trying to help clarify things. He gave a small smile. 

"i guess i'll let sleeping hips lie"

"... That was really stretching it."

"hey i remember squeezing, not stretching."

You laughed. He laughed with you. It was really bad, but it was a relief to get rid of those awkward emotions. A good mood to get into to watch some weird youtube videos of people watching terrible movies. 

\-----

End of the week and the study group was cut short. Some important sportsball game was happening on campus and most of your peers were going to attend. You smiled and waved them off, but you honestly just looked so tired. Even Papyrus asked if you were okay and you told him literally just that. Just tired. He had offered a ride to three of your peers to the game so they didn't have to deal with parking. In turn he expressed you can rest here and he'll give you a ride home when he gets back. He truly is great. 

Sans shuffled over to the table where you were… resting? You had closed your books, but haven't really packed up. Your eyes stared at the table but they weren't really focused. He saw you were clearly absorbed in a thought about something and it didn't appear to be a fun one. 

He sat casually across from you and petted the rock as though it were a simple house cat. He even moved a few sprinkles closer to them. "What's up?" He finally asked, still looking at the rock. 

Your eyes appeared to gain some focus as you drew your attention to the rock, but then appeared tired again. You wanted to answer 'nothing' but you both knew that wasn't the case. A sigh and you tried to find the words. 

"Even with the study groups, I'm not doing too hot right now…" 

He tilted his head to imply he was listening. You seemed hesitant, as though you expected him to say something. He said nothing and you continued. 

"No one else seems to be having trouble in our group." Still no response. You hugged your arms closer to yourself. "I… kind of feel like shit about it." 

After a moment, he pet the rock a few times, as though it were your shoulder. "you know, paps could definitely help you just one on one. he believes teaching is the best way for him to learn. that's why he hosts these groups." You seemed to shrink in on yourself. 

"He already does so much… it's probably annoying for him just to do it again after already having study groups and class." You huffed.

His brow bone raised like a weird magic skeleton face would. ".... you think?" It was doubtful. He knew his brother wouldn't think that. 

Your eyes lost focus again and you looked away. He called your bluff. "... I mean, that's how it feels with the TAs…" 

Ah. That explains it. You had gone through the proper channels and nothing came of it. For a moment he tried to think of what a teacher's assistant would get frustrated with when they went into the job knowing that's literally what they were assigned to do. After a moment, it hit him. 

"let me guess, it's more than one concept and is probably a few chapters at least?" 

You stalled. That hit something. "...Yeah…" you looked guilty. As though that was how you were supposed to feel. Because how else would that look like you a TA? It would look like you skipped out on class and homework and were hoping to just suddenly have it make sense by attending a single meeting. 

He knew and you knew and everyone in the study group knew that you attended class AND study groups. But you still feel ashamed you weren't understanding. Clearly if everyone else was following, the problem was you. 

"it happens" he voices, as nonchalantly as possible. It was his way of saying he believes you. The focus returned to your eyes and you glanced at him to continue.

"i promise-- and i don't promise often-- but i promise paps would absolutely help you until it clicks." He stops petting the rock and taps his fingers on the table. "we can even ask him when he gets back and i bet he'd be ecstatic about it. makes him feel like a teacher." 

You gave a tired smile but it also hesitated. "I guess, yeah…" 

Again with the magic brow rise. "but if you're burnt out for the day he'd gladly do it tomorrow, too." 

Your eyes perked up slightly. "... Yeah?" 

"yeah."

Relief. You gave a small, pitiful smile. "Good, 'cause I'm beat." Your arms finally unwound from your body and stretched across the table as your head rested next to your shoulders. 

He grinned and picked up your hand with his own. Then shook it in a greeting. "hello beat, i'm sans"

Your shoulders shook. That was terrible but you were laughing regardless. 

You slowly pulled yourself up with a dumb smile on your lips and pulled your hand back. It was nice… but also uncomfortable at that angle. 

Seeing as your bad mood was lifted and you had a bit of time, Sans figured this was a good opportunity. 

"so did you want to continue our own studies while we wait for paps?" 

You paused. He paused. 

".... wow there's really no non creepy way to bring it up without saying it, huh?"

You give a small chuckle and pause again. It felt nice not being the only socially awkward individual in the room. "... Saying what?" You asked, with a small curve to your lips.

He stared back. He knew you knew. Right? He paused as well, waiting for you to continue. You didn't, but he saw that smile. Fine. He'll answer like a normal answer. 

"...." 

Okay this was harder than he thought. He was able to say it fine before. Time to put it in a silly voice. Trying to mimic a professor he spoke: "would you like to continue our educational discussion on the involuntary nerve response of the body, also known as… tickling…?" His voice quieted out near the end, but his chin was still held high as though it didn't bother him. 

You gave another silent chuckle. It was best not to tease him too much. "Sure." You tilted your shoulders and scooted your chair closer to his. "We'll try something simple, since we're not sure how different it is between humans and skeletons." 

He scooted his chair closer and you were almost knee to knee while facing each other. 

You willed yourself not to blush. You were teaching. While sitting really close almost face to face. Teaching. 

Your hands went up to both fleshy sides of your neck and you dragged your fingertips down to your collar bone. "So the neck has a lot of nerves and is usually the easiest to access because we often don't have clothes in the way." You motioned to him and yourself as you were both not wearing turtlenecks or scarves. "Now on humans, it's the sides, but I'm not sure if your spine works the same."

His grin was steady and he shrugged, while resting his hands in his lap. "try me" 

Well, he asked for it. 

Your hands slowly reached up and lightly touched his neck, as to gauge for any reaction of pain or discomfort. 

Surprised, he sucked in a short breath and gripped his shorts lightly. He too, tried not to blush and instead looked down while keeping his chin up, as though he could see your hands. After noticing your pause, his head gave a quick nod of consent. 

Your fingers curled and lightly danced along his neck. He tried to play cool, but his shoulders kept rising until a small chuckle started… and couldn't stop. Seeing no resistance, you kept going. Now more experienced, you tried something you couldn't do on a human. Using your pointer finger, you digged lightly between the vertebrae.

"heheh,-SNKHEH-!!" His laughter suddenly erupted and like a turtle he tried to hide his neck. You poke and prod a few more times until he actually grabbed your hands to stop; laughing silently. 

"Sorry if that was too much, I was just curious since it's a completely different part for humans" you said, though you had a hard time not smiling. 

With squinted eyes and hands still grabbing yours, his laughter slowly died down and he let go once his breathing seemed tolerable. "okay. heh." He looked up at your eyes with a slight grin to his already smiling face. "human tax to keep it fair?" 

You pursed your lips but a smile quickly spread. ".... It's only fair." You responded. 

He sat up in response and reached out. Slowly like you did, you felt his skeletal hands lightly trace your neck up and down. He started curling his fingers near the base, and worked his way up. Trying everything, you felt the higher we went the less control you had keeping your reaction at bay. By the time he began to approach the base of your skull, the dam had broke and giggles spilled out uncontrollably.

His sockets widened in response and he continued in that area, even though you were making it difficult. You kept shaking your head back and forth and even your face was slightly flushed. 

Thinking your reactions got stronger the higher he went, he continued upward and lightly teased your ears in an almost maddening way. 

A quick shriek and only 2 seconds in you grabbed his hands and pulled them away, completely flushed. You stared at his face for a response. 

He took his hands back but held a shit eating grin. You were definitely ticklish there. 

Feeling a power shift, you quickly spoke "Skeleton tax." And reached to curl your hands where his ears would be. 

No reaction.

Except his face. "Guess you're there only one who's all ears" his eyes narrowed but his grin held steady. 

The door suddenly opened and Papyrus shouted out that he was ready to take your home. 

Your chair almost knocked over as you quickly shot up and gathered your things. "This isn't over" you said, beginning to calm down. 

"i hope not."


	7. Race to the Finish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A study session with a race for knowledge. Introducing a new friend.

Saturday morning came with the smell of coffee, donuts, and three different textbooks. You sat at the skeleton household dining room table and appeared to be talking with Papyrus about not understanding how this chapter even applies to the topic. Stress and premeditated defeat coursed through your body even with the calming sun rising through the window on the cold November morning.

After a moment, the taller skeleton paused and turned the book back three or four chapters, pointing something out to you.

For a few minutes you were silent.

"Oh my God. This was about the original 3 pillars." Your head sank in between your hands; your fingers pulling at the hair near your ears.

You continued to ramble out loud.

"We…. just switched to the second pillar? Everything is about the second one… Everything before this was the first one." 

You rested your elbows on the table and buried your face in your hands. You made a sound similar to a laugh and a sob. Papyrus patted your back lightly but smiled proudly. 

"WELL THEN, KNOWING THIS, LET'S REVIEW CHAPTERS SIX AND SEVEN." 

You were silent for a while, but then sighed. The back of your hands rubbed at your eyes before you grabbed a doughnut and shoved it in your mouth. You can do this. 

\---- 

Your eyes were tired and you were running on simple sugars and caffeine, but dammit, you finally understood. Papyrus had already cleaned up the table and was getting ready for his next task. You had let him know you were going to have Layla pick you up later so you could go grocery shopping, so he didn't need to worry about your transportation. 

Sans strolled in and sat across from you as his brother went to the back yard. He picked a few sprinkles off the remaining doughnut and placed them next to the rock. "paps help you understand?"

You blinked and nodded your head slowly, clearly tired. "Yes. He helped a lot. I really owe him."

His weird malleable face raised a brow with a grin at your slow response. "did your brain reach its knowledge quota for the day?"

Your eyes closed but your turned your head towards him. "It's so saturated my mind is static. Can't brain any further."

He leaned a little closer and smiled a teasing grin as he lightly rested his fingertips on your shoulder. "did you want me to help?"

Your face immediately flushed and your eyes shot open. You weren't sure him giving your thought process a blue screen of death was actually going to make coherent thoughts again, but you certainly were more awake then you were a minute ago. You looked at him and his smile remained, waiting for your answer. 

"FUHUHUHUH!!" 

You heard phone camera noise and Sans' face dropped to that of annoyance. 

"-Oh. I thought I had that on silent." Came from the same direction as the laughter. As if you didn't hear that as well. 

"...hey undyne." Greeted Sans, in a deadpan voice. 

She didn't answer immediately. It appeared she was sending a text. You've heard of Undyne before, but didn't have a face until now. It was if the creature of deep had shark teeth and was into sporty anime (if her phone case design was any hint)

She put away the phone, glanced at Sans with a smile, but then turned her predatory sight towards you. Her mouth revealing sharp yellow teeth peeling into a malicious grin. She held out her hand (fin?)

"The name is Undyne. I've heard you go by Y/N? Papyrus told me aaaaalll about you." 

She closed her lips but you could tell she had a hard time keeping them closed with the grin she was sporting. You took her hand where it was immediately squeezed into a strong handshake. Your pinky went numb. 

"O-oh? Only good things I hope?" You replied, finally taking your hand back. Maybe one day you could use it again. Luckily, this sudden encounter at least made your face calm down.

Her impish grin relaxed into one that looked more natural on her. "Yeah, good things." She's mostly looked at you rather than Sans. "When I heard you were friends with Papyrus before you even met Sans, and you hang out together regularly I figured you were pretty okay, -for a human." She pocketed her hands in her leather jacket and rocked on her heels casually.

Your head tilted slightly. Why was it weird to be friends with Papyrus before Sans? As far as you know, Papyrus is definitely the most sociable monster you've met. It's true Sans is out and about in this town as well, but he's usually working. Heck, you've seen him a few times but you never did more than wave at him since college town jobs frowned upon being social on the clock. 

Before you had a chance to politely continue the conversation, she wrapped an arm around your shoulder. "So listen, as a friend of these dorks, you're now a friend of me. Are you going to spar with us?" 

"Oh...you mean, fight?" You asked. You were not a fighter.

"oh, y/n will 'fite' alright" quipped the judas skeleton as he raised his hands in playful fisticuffs. You shot him the most polite death stare you had.

"SO YOU WILL JOIN US? I DIDN'T THINK YOU LIKED USING ATTACKS." Papyrus joined the room.

"I don't-" you were trying to get a word in.

"Well then, let's work on speed!" Undyne suddenly decided. "Are you in??" 

The taller skeleton seemed interested and looked towards you. Your study group never ran without a ball, and clearly any sport with a ball didn't end well for you. And there was no ball in running! But...

You did not want to be in. 

But… Papyrus looked so happy at this suggestion. And Undyne seemed to matter so much to him and you didn't want to make a bad impression. It's just running, right? You used to run the mandatory mile in class under ten minutes… three years ago? And you've run to class plenty of times. 

You swallowed. 

"Yeah…. sure- I don't think I can keep up with you two, but I'll try!" And you smiled hoping this would be a quick run and you'd excuse yourself to go pass out later. 

\---

You lined up outside with the taller monsters. There wasn't much explanation on the rules of this run other than the winner gets to suplex all losers. Undyne counted down and before you could think this through, the race was on. The two figures suddenly rushed ahead.

Were they sprinting? Was this a quick speed run? Seeing as you were drastically falling behind, you sped up for a quick sprint, running as fast as you could.

After 15 seconds, you wondered if this was not a quick sprint. Your lungs burned. You felt a slight ache in your lower thighs.

Every moment of questioning had a monster look over their shoulder and motion the direction they were heading. They must be close to finishing, right? This went on for more than a few minutes.

By this point your breath was incredibly loud to the extent it was almost a welcome distraction from the weakness in your knees. Just as you were about to throw in the towel, you saw the house up ahead. Your speed had already dwindled by this point with you meters behind Undyne and Papyrus. In fact, they stopped already and were cheering you on? 

You must have looked pretty pathetic. Your body felt like it was shambling along as your lungs were working so hard that you were losing feeling in your lower lip and feeling a little faint. But despite all that, you appeared to have won favor of Undyne as she seemed very invested in your completion.

You kept your dying speed up the best as you could as you reached the finish line. It looked like they were expecting you to stop, but instead you waved with the best smile you could muster and hobbled quickly inside. 

"woah, the race is over, are you-" 

You sped by the shorter, stagnant skeleton who was looking over the back of the couch. He watched with sudden concern as you headed down the hallway and into the bathroom. Undyne and Papyrus suddenly followed in the house and noticed you had a mission. That included what sounded like retching. 

There was an awkward pause. 

"Y/N, ARE YOU OKAY?" Papyrus called through the bathroom door.

You managed to sputter out that you were fine and you needed a minute. There was coughing and labored breathing. 

After a few more moments, Undyne convinced Papyrus to get you a bottle of water and a washcloth. When you eventually emerged you looked exhausted. You gladly took the water and the taller duo seemed to usher you upstairs to lay down on Papyrus' bed. 

Sans stood outside the room. He heard words of admiration as Undyne expressed how you pushed above and beyond your limit as it was impressive. Papyrus seemed to both congratulate you and suggest you can go less extreme next time so it will be less… vomity. Eventually they left the room to let you rest (per your request they go back and train without you) and Sans gave a knock and entered when you waved him in.

"i heard you were faster than a speeding vomit" 

You groaned and adjusted the washcloth over your eyes. The cold water calming your overheated face. Sans sat down on the edge of the bed. 

"sorry, it's a running joke." He grinned as you tensed and realized where this was going. "maybe the next time 'dyne is here, you can jog your memory of what happened and exercise restraint." 

Your body shook for a moment in laughter but suddenly tensed again. "Heh- ow, don't make me laugh, I'm dying here." But there were small giggles in your words. 

He found himself leaning in towards you. While not the cause, to see you as a tired giggly mess on the bed was enticing… or maybe that's what he wanted for himself and he was jealous? He wasn't sure but he knew that he was glad you couldn't see the sudden blush over his face as he realized just where his mind was going. Right. Back up. Back to puns. 

"ya see, paps has unlimited stamina and no muscles to get sore with." He exaggerated. "you can't keep up with him in the long run. and in addition to achey legs, you'll also feel the agony of de-feet." 

You gave a sharp laugh followed by another cough and wince. He was not helping! Especially when your lack of energy couldn't keep your mind collected in it's usual restrained self. "If I could move, I'd make you feel the agony of your feet!" Another groan. Your lungs still really hurt and you didn't think raising your voice would make it hurt worse. 

A pause. "run that by me again?"

Your body gave another shake. Either a laugh or cough held in. The exhaustion from studying and running didn't leave much reserve for filters. "I swear I would 'tickle fite' you for what you said earlier- you're killing me here-!" you followed up with a stream of coughs and adjusted yourself to sit up slightly, but held the washcloth in place. You were not bold enough to look him in the eyes after saying that.

Sans' shoulders raised as his face grew darker in color. He gave a nervous laugh and distracted himself by grabbing the water bottle and lightly tapping it against your other hand so you knew it was there. 

You took the water and there was a longer pause. You hope you didn't make it too awkward. "H-"

"wouldn't the feet just be like the hands…?"

For a moment you thought he was kidding. Then remembered from what he's told you, that was a legitimate question. Your brain slowly switched to encyclopedia mode "... Well on humans, hands are used so often they become less sensitive compared to feet which tend to be protected most of the time. But I guess if someone is often barefoot they could be less sensitive?" You weren't 100% sure but that made sense. "For most people though, they are often one of the more ticklish areas."

Another pause. This seemed to be going towards a more educational talk so you felt more comfortable discussing this even though your body felt like death. If anything it was helping your mind focus. The same couldn't be said for Sans.

".... only one of-? how.. how many are there?" 

He wanted a numerical answer? "Uh, it depends? I'm not sure if it's the same between humans and skeletons. I guess if you were to - count ----" you sat up and coughed a few times, your lungs still angry. 

By this point you felt you'd have a better idea of what he was actually asking for if you saw his face. Taking off the washcloth you saw the shorter skeleton with his 'naked' foot resting in his knee. He was looking at it quizidly. It sure has a lot of bones which would all presumably be connected with magic, much like his knee was. And like humans, you recalled his hand having some sensitivity but not too much. And then, for a moment, your eyes locked and- 

"What the fuck?" A voice from downstairs questioned. It was soon followed by a few light arrow attacks that could be heard being deflected and Papyrus delicately asking to not skewer guests. You knew that voice. 

Sans quickly shoved his foot back in his slipper and you set the washcloth aside as you got up and headed downstairs. "Hey Layla, I guess you met Undyne." You greeted

She looked at you incredulously. "Hey Y/N, I guess you survived 'Undyne'" she mimicked. 

"Barely" you shrugged and coughed some more. 

Layla's eyes narrowed at the fish monster. "You're not allowed to murder Y/N." She said sternly.

Undyne suddenly stopped and bent down to stare at the girls with dark curls. Her malicious grin returned. Layla's death stare did not faulter. A grin grew wider. A brow grew deeper. Undyne pulled away.

"I like her. Is she your girlfriend?" The fish monster turned to you excitedly. As if she was already planning double dates. 

Your face looked apologetic. "No, we're not-" 

Layla started laughing. "I love Y/N, but they're not my type. Like ever. --No offense."

You gave a chuckle in response. "None taken."

Your friend patted your back."But if you still aren't married by 40, you can be my spouse without benefits and make that sausage-mushroom dish with mashed potatoes" 

Another laugh "Right. We can have it tonight if we get to the store before it closes." Your friend nodded their head in agreement. 

You gathered your things and said your goodbyes. A quick hug from Papyrus, a new fist-bump from Undyne and a wave to Sans who had been at the top of the stairs this whole time. 

The house suddenly was quieter. Sans watched as you disappeared from view of the window and he glanced down at his slippers. 

"WELL THAT WAS A USEFUL PIECE OF INFORMATION" 

Sans grabbed at his chest with a non-existant heart attack. "geeze paps, exercise some restraint next time" How long had he been there?

"YOU ALREADY USED THAT ONE, SANS. DO TRY TO BE MORE CREATIVE." 

"yeah…. wait." 

How did he…? Sans turned around and his brother was already racing outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Sorry for the delay, went through a life change and I'm slowly adjusting back into the swing of things. Wait why am I apologizing to my self indulgent fix hahaha)
> 
> More character building this chapter, more fun next chapter. ;)


	8. Never place a bet you can't keep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finals are approaching and so is mounting stress. You find yourself thankful for your friends. Later, you celebrate Gyftmas and try to give a gift that Sans will like.

Before too long, things were getting busy. You'd find yourself with more study groups at the skeleton household, but your breaks were shorter. You'd be over a couple times a week with a plate of baked goods, or a handful of highlighters to hand out, or even some spare tissues when the humans of the group got sick. And then you'd head home with notes, completed homework, and tired eyes. Sometimes instead of hanging out with Sans, you'd be drafting an essay for another class, or reading a textbook unrelated to the study group. You were visibly getting more stressed. And the one time Sans casually brought up that you haven't hung out in a while, the guilt on your face wasn't worth it. 

Papyrus later explained to his brother how the classes they shared could be managed together, but the mandatory classes unrelated to your major had different professors and some of them had very strict standards. And while he was riding on a monster scholarship, you were not and you literally couldn't afford a failure. He didn't like that he was spending less time with you either. 

"THEY ARE WORKING VERY HARD AND APPEAR TO BE BURNING OUT." he sighed and looked to his older brother who was balancing one of your cookies off the edge of his mouth. 

"i wish things were better for them. there's a lot of new holiday commercials on i bet they'd have a funny opinion on." He nibbled absent minded and had crumbs falling on his hoodie. 

".... YES. IT LOOKS LIKE THEY RUNNING OUT OF THINGS TO GIVE. INCLUDING TIME." Papyrus started clearing the table of papers.

"a limited resource" he shrugged, still bummed about it. He wasn't the reason you didn't have any time. 

"....HM… MUCH LIKE THE CONSERVATION OF MASS" He stared at his brother, deadpan. 

Sans paused and looked at his brother curiously. ".... matter isn't created or destroyed?" 

"CHEMICAL REACTIONS JUST GIVE AND TAKE"

The shorter brother blinked his weird magical skeleton eyes. 

" UNLESS THE EXCHANGE REVERSES, ONE GETS USED UP COMPLETELY. " he picked up a thicker leaflet. "AND IT'S NOT JUST ELECTRONS, SOMETIMES IT'S ATOMS OR ENERGY."

Blinking.  
,  
"SANS."

"what?"

"IT'S NOT JUST TIME. SOMETIMES IT'S PLEASANTRIES, CONVENIENCES…. OR COOKIES." 

".....?"

He rolled up the thick leaflet while staring directly at his brother. 

".....oh." 

\------

For the next couple weeks, things were different. 

On your way to your Thursday lab, you'd see Sans at the coffee station as usual. Lately, he'd been waving you over, saying someone ordered a drink and left, so you could have it. This individual just happened to also use the non-dairy alternative that you liked. 

When you tried to squeeze in your grocery shopping, he'd happen to be there restocking the shelves. The items he had were often the same items on your list so you'd be in and out in record time. 

During extended study sessions, he would cook himself up some apostrophe dogs, and claim they could only be made in batches. It was a shame to not share them. After all, they were made of protein and fats, instead of caffeine and sugars. Papyrus would often happen to conveniently share some sort of cucumber or carrot tray nearby for brain food. 

And some days you just happened to get really lucky where someone left extra change in a parking meter or washing machine. 

\----

During dead week, the week before finals, you were getting your last study session with the group in. Your peers were outside for a quick game of hacky-sack while you sat at the table, trying your best to not read the next page of your textbook until you understood the current one. 

Holding the cap of your pen delicately in your teeth, you didn't notice your water bottle had been taken until Sans set it down next to you, filled. 

"Thank you." You lowered your pen and looked up at him. 

"eh, it's no prob-"

"For everything." You added; your eyes implying you had been watching. After all, Papyrus did say you were good at noticing small details. "...Thank you." And you gave a smile he hadn't seen in a while.

He stilled, then looked away sheepishly. "yeah, well, don't stress over it. from what paps told me, you should do great next week." 

...His soul thrummed happily at the confirmation he was actually helping you somehow. 

\----

And you did do well on your finals. At least it felt like it. You wouldn't know how you scored until next week when everyone was already off campus. But you studied hard and felt confident that you at least passed all of your classes. Now it was time to celebrate.

Another party at the skeleton household. This time more people were inside and chilling in the floor next to the grytmas tree. Papyrus explained the monster lore and received a few skeptical faces as he added that they also have Santa and reindeer. 

And of course in true college tradition, this all occurred with alcoholic beverages as a radio blasted Wham's Last Christmas. No expensive gift obligations, only bizarre items opened in white elephant fashion. 

"nice. just what i wanted. i'm not trading." Sans grinned as he held up a 6-pack of combs clearly from the dollar store. He pulled one out and you could hear the bristles scrape his skull. You ended up with a small empty jar, decorated with the phrase "my supply of fucks to give".

The night continued and soon dwindled down to you and two other classmates. As the night progressed, Papyrus and your classmates soon decided to make a new type of cookie they just invented. Something involving "sugar plum" and everclear. It…. was not a tasty sounding idea, but probably fun to experiment while buzzed. 

".... and asgore would show up in the middle of the night dressed as santa just so papyrus could try to catch him with a puzzle. he'd always let him go at the end... after seeing if santa remembered what he asked for. i had to save his letters so the king could study them before coming over."

"Oh my gosh that's so precious." You held your drink in your hands. Some spiked eggnog which was far too strong, so you were drinking it rather slowly. Of course, it was already over halfway gone and you took tiny sips to keep your buzz. "What did tiny Papyrus ask for?"

"typical kid stuff. books, puzzles, action figures, ropes, and spikes." He swirled his cup in his hand. It was full of advent calendar chocolates. 

You looked at him suspiciously as you could with alcohol in your system. He may have been joking about those last items, but they also sounded familiar to a story Papyrus had once told. 

"...did you want to see them? i still have them tucked away upstairs. that way you can see he really did ask for those." your intoxicated face is probably fairly easy to read. 

"Uh, YES." You both polished off your drinks (?) and headed out of the living room. 

Teeny tiny Papyrus' Christmas list? That sounds super cute. Maybe Sans will have baby photos, too. What would a baby skeleton look like? Would they have a skull opening like humans? You considered these thoughts until you realized you were actually in Sans' bedroom. A floor mattress with box spring, but no bed frame. A treadmill covered delicately with unpaired socks. A scientific alarm clock with time down to the millisecond, date, temperature and atmospheric pressure sitting on a dresser. The room was lit by a powerful LED flashlight in a lamp and in the corner was a tiny but magical trash tornado. You saw a toy bone fly in it and wondered if it was a skeleton thing or he had a dog on the side. 

He reached into his dresser drawer and pulled out a stack of papers. Holding them carefully, he sat down on the side of the bed and you could tell he was smiling more genuinely as his eyes scanned the paper in nostalgia. 

For a moment you considered the fact you were in his bedroom and going to sit on his bed was almost scandalous. But you also know Sans was cool and your buzzed brain was too interested in cute baby things so you sat next to him. 

He handed the papers off to you and your eyes scanned one page… and then another… and another. "... His hand-writing is exactly the same?" You expected cute backward 'g's and loopy letters. 

"it's a skeleton thing." He shrugged while answering. "our font is always the same." 

You paused, and as the gears turned in your brain, you suddenly smirked at him "You can be a professional sign maker for lemonade stands."

"ouch" he laughed, and put his hand on his chest. He probably noticed the selective use of his font when he got to the surface as well. 

Turning your attention back to the letters, it was almost like a tiny little diary entry. Sans must really trust you, as well as your relationship with Papyrus to see these. They all held similar formats. Thanking for items from last year, asking how he's (Santa) is doing, a little update on his life in the last year and asking for what he wanted the current year. It was true, there were requests for spikes. But you also noticed a similar request in the older letters, as they were dutifully dated at the top right of the page. In one form or another, they asked Santa to make sure his brother got something as well, since he didn't write any letters. 

"Awwww…." Little kids can be so sweet. "You didn't write any letters?"

He shrugged. "nothin' i wanted but something for paps" 

"Not even when you were little?"

He shook his head. Something about that response made it seem like it wasn't worth digging. Your heartstrings tugged a little anyway. You handed the papers back and he got up to put them away. 

"So what did Santa get you, per your brother's request?" 

"oh." He looked away sheepishly, now remembering what his brother wrote. "uh, job recommendations. sometimes things like a tea mug. gloves or a coat. asgore mostly guessed, heh." 

He hesitated for a moment, but sat back down on the bed since it looked like you weren't getting up. Your face was getting warm. Probably the booze.

"So what do you want for Gyftmas now?" 

".... i don't really need anything" he says again. The same as previous years.

"Yeah, but what do you want? Not need." You gave a suspicious smile. "Anything I can help with?" You narrowed your eyes and leaned closer, trying to give a hint. 

Yes, you were running on liquid courage, but there was also a part of you who just didn't like not giving something during events of giving (birthdays or holidays). You figured Sans wasn't a material individual, but you have noticed his reliance on you for a certain thing. You'd like to give him something.

He sputtered. You were asking him? "uh…" honestly he was thinking of something but now his mind is blank. He remained silent as his brain froze and the room went quiet.

Still no response. You felt a wave of anxiety rush over your chest and arms. Your brain was a bit fuzzy but you weren't buzzed enough to not feel regret. Were you wrong in assuming he'd want to bring that up again? Was it too weird after bringing up childhood things?

"Sorry! that was weird, forget I said anything." You suddenly blurted out. Never drinking again, you've now decided. It gave you confidence you weren't allowed to have. You moved to stand up and run out.

"wait..!" You felt a boney hand grab into your sweater sleeve. He waited until you looked his direction to continue. 

"-yeah-, if you still want to. just don't… don't think you're doing something wrong. i mean, i'm the one usually asking, heh…"

Your locked eyes for a moment and soon followed the direction of his tugging hand. Sitting back on the bed, you fidgeted slightly and smiled apologetically. "Yeah, uh-" you caught yourself trying to apologize again. "Yeah. What did, what were you thinking?"

He looked pleased that you sat down, and flushed slightly as you jumped back into conversation. "well... i guess i'm still curious. back after your race with paps and undyne, you mentioned the feet? we could see if skeletons are different." He threw out a casual grin as he talked. 

Your face dropped slightly as you blinked at him in surprise. "Oh…?" You quickly followed up to explain your hesitancy. "Are you sure? You pulled your hand away so fast that one time, I wouldn't want to get kicked." You gave a small chuckle. 

"nah, i won't kick you now that i know what to expect" he replied confidently. 

You shook your head. "I don't think you understand; I'd probably have to hold your leg to even try."

He almost looked offended that you'd think he'd seriously kick you. "you really wouldn't, i can handle it"

You gave a short laugh in response. Was he really doubling down on this? "Dude, you wouldn't last five seconds." Your confidence was coming back.

He smirked, now noticing your attitude change. "is that a challenge? i bet i could last at least a minute since you're not firing on all cylinders, there" 

"How dare!" You laughed at his attempt to like fun at your buzzed state. Okay, he asked for it. "Fine, hand it over, but I'm at least lightly going to hold it in place in case you're wrong."

He grinned, glad your playful attitude was back. It hurt seeing you hold things back sometimes. He slipped off his slippers and leaned back with his feet resting on your lap. He looked like he was about to take a comfy nap and you were just the pillow for support. 

"Okay, just to reiterate, you literally asked for it." And again he gave his consent. 

You held your forearm over his shins and grasped one ankle slightly in place with your free hand. After one more glance, you lightly dragged your fingertips from heel to toe on one of his feet. 

You were smart to hold it down. He immediately gave a light smack on the palm of your hand with his leg and you could feel his body go rigid. Another glance in his direction. His eye lights were a little smaller, but he held his grin. It was a bet. You shrugged and continued. 

Just lightly up and down, you playfully dragged your fingers from his toe to heel. After a few passes you began to zig zag back and forth and drew a few swirls. He was quiet for a few seconds, but his entire body vibrated as he was trying to hold his laughter in. Second by second it seemed his body was curling in on itself; his relaxed pose looking incredibly uncomfortable. He lasted about fifteen seconds with that.

"mm….mmphh….!! ke-k-kk…! " And then it was an intermittent stretch of giggles and silent laughter.

"I warned you~" you sang, and decided to play more attention to the task at hand. Specifically scratching along the inside of the lateral feet bones (the metatarsal bones for those pre-med majors). They were kind of strange, just looking at them. With the amount of wiggling he was giving, you wondered what held them in place so close together. (You could imagine the answer: "magic" if you asked.)

Moving up to the "toes" you continued. Your single exploratory fingernail dragging quickly along in every direction seemed to work just fine. He started cackling.

"h-h-holy shit! k-ehk-ehk-ehk" his legs were starting to get a little too strong for your grip. He dug his palms into his sockets and must have realized this as well. "....!!!! i give up! i gi-!"

You quickly let go and moved away, free of his kicking legs. "52 seconds. You were close." You remarked, glancing at the clock.

He rolled slightly away, as though that would make him less giggly. "it wasn't even a minute? are you sure…??" He asked between gasps of air; how does a skeleton breathe? 

You nodded your head and watched him struggle. It was from his own doing, and your buzzed self had a little less sympathy for that, but you smiled and made sure he at least wasn't dying."You okay?"

He confirmed he was fine. After a few minutes of recovery, he looked at you and held a renewed grin. "human tax?"

"Absolutely not!" You snapped playfully while tucking your feet on bed and away from him. You would die. 

His eyes moved from your legs to your face, respecting your wishes, but also looking for trouble. "i can't 'hear' you" he teased with a grin. His hands raised, implying he would go for your ears, but he didn't move forward just yet. 

You stared back and felt a nervous grin spread on your face. ".... You lost, though…!!" It felt like your face was getting hotter. 

His eyes became more mischievous as he noticed your widening grin. "sorry, i don't have ears of my own, can't understand what you're saying~" and his arms raised higher and wider as he (and his face) got closer. 

Raising your arms in prepared retaliation, your face was burning with a big stupid grin. Was he really going to start a fight?? Your mind and heart raced at the idea. You had to think this through. Despite his lazy appearance, he still had more endurance than you! But you…. You have knowledge. 

He didn't see any negative reaction, and quickly moved in and wiggled his fingers around your ears. You held in your reaction for all about two seconds before you made a noise that could be described as a keyboard smash. The nerves around your face fired and as you tried to draw back, he just leaned in with his arms extending. Just according to keikaku. 

Finding your chance, you shot your arms out to a now vulnerable spot. The bones didn't really connect here, but as you guessed, there was probably a bit of magic holding them in place. Skeleton armpits. He crumpled immediately back on the bed with a yelp.

"That's what you get, that's what you get!" You exclaimed, now reversing the fight. As he broke out in laughter, you moved to your knees and leaned over him, this time not being as delicate since he decided to play dirty. 

He bellowed his laughter and his face darkened blue as he tilted back his head. And his laughter just sounded… Happy. It didn't sound completely forced and he just genuinely looked happy that he got you to retaliate. It was actually kind of endearing. Except he did it by tricking you.

"Stop acting so cute, you cheater!!" 

Your hands suddenly stopped as you realized you said that out loud. And even though he was far from calmed down, Sans' eyes looked desperate to see your face and confirm what you said. A door could be heard closing. 

Wait what.

A needed distraction; you quickly shot up with a face redder than a tomato and opened his bedroom door, peeking down the hallway. (Wait, did either of you even close the door?) Seeing no one, you hurried to look down the stairs and saw Papyrus texting casually on his phone; the notification sounds going off frequently. Sans could be heard following but much slower and further behind. 

Papyrus finished his text and set his phone face down on the couch next to him. "OH, Y/N! I THOUGHT YOU ALREADY LEFT. YOLANDA AND EFRAIN ALREADY GOT AN UBER HOME A WHILE AGO. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SET ONE UP?" He motioned to his phone. "THE APP IS STILL OPEN." 

You stilled. Did he close the door? He didn't act like he closed the door. But you could also play that game. "... Yeah, that would be great, thank you, Papyrus." 

He smiled. "WHAT WERE YOU TO DOING UP THERE? I HEARD LAUGHING."

He 'thought you went home', what rubbish. But the best way is to make it seem true. "We were watching some comedy sets on my phone; it was a live show so the audience was pretty loud." And pivot. "How did those cookies turn out?"

"TERRIBLY!" He beamed. "BURNT DIRECTLY TO THE PAN, WHICH WAS ADVERTISED SPECIFICALLY AS NON STICK. I WAS TOLD THEY TASTED SIMILAR TO A BURNT VERSION OF GRAPE COUGH SYRUP 'IN ALL THE WORST WAYS' FROM OUR TEAM." 

The car eventually arrived and you said your good-byes, giving a side hug to Papyrus and… you didn't know if he was okay with hugs and his brother was right there, but you didn't want to wave again. A handshake. "See you guys next year!" 

You left and the house was quiet for a moment. 

"wait, what."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How others write -  
> Sans: sexy, troubled, puns  
> Papyrus: innocent, just give him a friend
> 
> How I write-  
> Sans: curious but also a dumbass  
> Papyrus: friendship police watch out he is armed


	9. Feeling Souper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's winter break and Sans has some time to think about ... and address... what your relationship really is. 
> 
> Also the author making fun of University class requirements.

The tomato soup can. Cylindrical. White and red. Behind it are multiple identical cans from the same lot code. Take one off the shelf and who knows where it will end up. Maybe paired with a grilled cheese. Maybe in a casserole. Sauteed with ground beef. Or to sit in a pantry for years with no goal in mind. But for now they are stacked higher and higher into a tower under the fluorescent lights. They mean nothing but they also mean a meal. They were once a round fruit and they took the course to be a soup. Why not a sauce or paste? …fuck, IT IS SO BORING RIGHT NOW. 

Sans' eye lights were unfocused as he stocked the shelves for the umpteenth time. There wasn't much activity in a college town during winter break. Restaurants were dead. Sometimes he didn't see anyone for hours.The worst part of it all was that it gave him time to think. 

To think about what kind of relationship you had with him? This wasn't even an unreciprocated love kind of situation like in Alphys stories ( again, why did he keep going back to that?). But if he really, truly thought about it, did you even consider him a friend? 

Yes, you hung out all the time but only when you were already at his house for a study session. The last time he saw you, you shared a handshake. A HANDSHAKE. He's seen you hug Papyrus. But he also hasn't seen you hug anyone else. Was Paps special to you? Did you hang out even more at school? His mind went to a dark place for a moment and he considered you hanging out with him out of obligation of being friends with his brother. 

Shoving himself away from the shelf, he started moving his supply cart down the aisle until he reached the pasta. He cut open a stock box and began to load the shelves again, making sure the rotini didn't mix with the elbow shaped noodles. He zoned out while he could hear the shuffling of the bags stacking on top of each other; the noodles loudly settling.

He didn't even have your phone number. Papyrus did. He even asked his brother for it, but was met with a puzzled glance and admittance it wasn't his place to share your number without your consent. "THEY DON'T TEXT OFTEN, ANYWAY." he had said. Was that true? Was he feeling jealousy or betrayal from that thought? The noodles gave no answer.

And…. And!!…. He was pretty sure you called him cute! But what was that supposed to even mean? You also called the baby bunny cute, and even the sprinkles on their pet rock are cute! With everything else, did that have any other meaning? Or should he just forget it since you were inebriated?

He held a ramen cup in his hand. Stars, what was …...THIS? He motioned vaguely at nothing as though he was actually talking to someone. A bag of pho noodles almost fell over the ledge of the shelf. 

He tried to calm down. Admittedly he liked what you had when you were together, but now with college break, being apart just had him stuck in a state of unrest. He sighed and moved down the empty aisle once more. 

The spices. He had been told a few were old and needed their date checked. He reached out and found his hand over another's as he grabbed the garlic powder. His eye lights followed the pale hand covered in silver rings leading up a black sleeve, and up to see the surprised human in front of him. Her wavy black hair and… That was a familiar face. Sans pulled his hand back.

"Is there a place you DON'T work?" She asked, exasperated. It was Layla, your roommate. 

"the pharmacy won't let me back after i lost my licence" he joked, one of his many 'canned' answers to this common question. 

She rolled her eyes and tossed the item into her grocery cart. "I'm surprised you're not off hanging out with Y/N."

Actually, Sans was more surprised. "y/n is here?" He tried to ask as calmly and he could, but his eyes may have given him away.

"Well not in the store, but-" she paused. For a moment she narrowed her eyes at him, but seemed to abandon that idea as her eyes looked off to the side; her mind solving a puzzle. "Huh."

Silence. "huh-..... 'what'?" He prompted with casual nervousness.

Her chin jutted in thought, and then she glanced at him again. "Did you guys get in a fight?"

"w-what? ….no. no. as far as i remember y/n said they would see us once winter break was over...?" Was he mistaken? Did he fuck up again? 

A pause and she shrugged, "Well, they're in town now. You should call them, they could use a laugh."

Sans swallowed with his weird non-existent throat. Were you not doing well? "...i don't… have their number." 

… and then she gave him a look worse than stink-eye. It was a look of pity. 

He felt a sudden wash of shame come over him and he started to gather a random item in his supply cart so he could excuse himself. Luckily there were no witnesses.

"Wait, hold on." Layla placed her hand forcefully on his cart and pulled out her phone. Before he could get a word in edgewise, she dialed a number and set it to speakerphone. It was picked up after one ring.

"Hello?" Your voice on the end answered. He froze.

"Hey, yeah, quick question, are you mad at Sans?" It sounded like Layla finally decided to learn his name. Also, what the hell is she doing?

"... What? No, why-"

"Not even a little? Because I'd understand if you did-" she quickly interrupted.

"No..! What are you-"

"Just curious. Okay, thanks, I'llbringyouacoffeeonmywaybackbyeee~" she hurried the end of the call and hung up. 

He stood in shock. And you guys are best friends? Well, if Papyrus and Undyne got along as well as they did, he guessed that made sense? 

She scrolled on her phone for a few seconds. "Write this down. 7-1-2.." she paused to silence an incoming call on her phone and continued.

After a millisecond of realization, he grabbed his warehouse scanner and started punching in the numbers as though he was logging in. 

Once she finished, he didn't know what to say. On one hand, Papyrus' reason to not give you a number meant Layla has a different set of ethics on the matter and he didn't know which way he should side. On the other hand… 

She noticed his hesitation. "Just text Y/N and tell them you should get out of the house for a while."

He felt uneasy and tried to do the right thing. "well, y/n actually didn't give me the number themselves… i don't want to bother them... they didn't ask for this."

She looked him up and down. "But you wrote it down, didn't you?"

GUILT. He pulled his shoulders up as though he were a turtle retreating into his shell. 

She sighed. "Listen dude, you think you're the only one with insecurities? Y/N probably thinks they would be bothering YOU." She paused, and picked up a box of shake-n-bake from the other side of the aisle. "So text them or not, I don't care. Just cut back on the puns. I have not been spared from your influence. Later." Her cart loudly turned and left.

Sans watched as she turned and headed towards the produce. She was blunt but she had a point. His jokes were amazing. 

He glanced around and upon not seeing any other coworkers or customers, he pulled out his phone and plugged in the numbers. 

UNKNOWN: knock knock  
Y/N: … Who's there?  
UNKNOWN: lettuce  
Y/N: Lettuce who?  
Sahahahans: lettuce hang out sometime. paps sees-a-salad recipe he wants to try tonight.   
\--Message read--

Y/N: Did you want me to bring anything?

\--------

You showed up that night with a tupperware container in one hand and a copy of your class schedule. Upon hearing you were coming to visit, Papyrus requested you compare your classes for future study groups. You arrived up looking happy, but also incredibly tired. Layla probably had the right idea to get you out of the house as it looked like staying at your apartment wasn't getting you enough rest anyway.

After a nice leafy dinner followed by a small chocolate cake you made, you and the brothers settled at the table as you looked over and compared your schedules. 

"WONDERFUL! WE HAVE EVEN MORE CLASSES TOGETHER, NOW!" Papyrus seemed pleased. You had confessed to him that he was probably the reason you weren't failing any classes, and this way you were less likely to struggle compared to last semester. 

Sans glanced over at the two schedules and noticed the differences. His brother's schedule had additional classes related to his minor. You had two weird ones with key indicators at the end . ".... russian film and global soil study?"

You glanced at him, strained. "The school requires courses reflecting other country's culture and economics…. These… met those requirements." 

"... but they don't even relate to your major?" 

It looked like you were trying your best to defend what the University was requiring while also screaming on the inside. "... Yeah."

"huh…..i know paps took some weird courses too, but i think that was a requirement for monsters to learn about the surface."

Papyrus shook his head "NO, THEY RULED AGAINST THAT. MY WEIRD COURSES IN FOOD HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGICAL GLOBAL ADVANCEMENT WERE THE SAME UNIVERSITY REQUIREMENT AS Y/N'S. I RATHER ENJOYED MINE." 

You nodded your head in agreement. "Food history was full, otherwise I would have taken that." 

"..... surface education is certainly…. something." 

Both you and Papyrus agreed grimly. Sans' underground education at a young age was a story already told during your study groups and he didn't want to go through another degree on the surface when he enjoyed his sporadic jobs to support his brother. Time to change topics.

"are you going to be in another earworm performance?" He asked, twirling his fork on the empty cake plate. 

You nodded your head, this time more pleased. "Of course." It was a fun outlet for you. It's also what kept you from staying after the study sessions. 

Papyrus lightly rapped the table as a thought hit him. "OH! I HEARD THEY NEED A NEW STAGE MANAGER, Y/N YOU WOULD BE PERFECT! YOU ALREADY DO SO MUCH BEHIND THE SCENES, FAR MORE THAN THE OTHER STAGE HANDS." he seemed to notice your tasks during the dress rehearsal when the lights weren't as dim. 

"......Oh, they already have someone in mind." You waved him off.

"BUT THEY POSTED IT, YOU CAN STILL APPLY!" He seemed excited for you. The planning and keeping a team on track seemed like it would suit you very well. 

"I really don't think I'll get it, there are much better qualified individuals already there." Your smile was getting thin.

IT'S BEST TO ALWAYS TRY-"

"Papyrus." Your voice was tight. "They wouldn't pick me. I'm not in their group." 

He hesitated and realized he should have dropped it. In that moment, his phone buzzed and he glanced at the screen. He got up and grabbed his keys "I APOLOGISE, IT'S THE TIME I SAID I WOULD HELP UNDYNE INSTALL A HEATING LAMP. IT WAS REALLY NICE SEEING YOU AGAIN, Y/N. I'LL BE BACK SOON TO DRIVE YOU HOME; I'M SURE YOU AND SANS CAN CATCH UP." He had mentioned this task to you prior. He figured he overstepped and needed to give you space anyway. 

\------

After waving goodbye, you and Sans headed to the living room and turned on some cooking channel where they were absolutely butchering the recipe. You made your regular random quips about the show, followed by outrageous observations. Sans joined in, but seemed to not really focus on it. 

Once the episode ran to credits and he leaned back and looked in your direction. You gave a yawn and noticed his gaze, so you looked at him as well. He might as well go for it. 

"hey, uh, weird question?" He asked; picking at the arm of the couch.

"Weird answer?" You rubbed your eyes from staring at the tv while the room was dark.

"heh, uh…" The room was slightly chilly but you were only sitting a few inches apart and he could feel some heat radiate off of you. Geeze, why was this making him nervous? Oh right, rejection. "...we're friends, right?" Stars he hated he had to ask but at the same time he had to know. 

You looked surprised. "Of course! Unless, you don't… want to be...?" Oh nooooo

"i do…! yeah, i do." He quickly answered. You both seemed to smile with relief at that. 

Quiet. 

Your eyes darted as you waited for him to continue. He didn't; even though he really looked like he did. Maybe if he thought you weren't friends before, he felt he couldn't ask you other things? Oh. That's not what you wanted… you'd been trying so hard to help with anything. For some reason you couldn't figure out why you weren't approachable and you had hoped you didn't appear that way here, too…. 

"...Did you have another question?" You attempted to help him out. You'd hate if he didn't feel comfortable talking to you.

"...yeah, uh…" he bounced his leg with anxiety as he tried to find the right words. "... as a friend i just want to let you know that i'm……. cool with….. hugs." It wasn't as bad as trying to ask for tickles, but it sure made him feel more vulnerable.

"Oh!" You quickly leaned forward and crossed your arms behind his back in a hug, your chin over his shoulder. 

His face flushed slightly as he just realized how soft the skin of your cheek was; not expecting you to hug him so quickly. He was relieved as he relaxed his arms around you and tried to mimic his chin over your shoulder and well, but… something was wrong. 

You noticed he wasn't pulling away. He felt like it was easier to ask you about it when it didn't require eye contact. 

".... hey, is this weird for you?" He asked, still holding on.

He felt you shake your head.

"No; this is fine. Why?" Did you give bad hugs?

"you're just really stiff…. like you're uncomfortable." He felt you stir for a moment.

"I'm not…." You paused, now realizing your body language. "Oh…" a nervous laugh. "I guess…. I'm afraid I'll fall asleep if I relax right now." Another anxious laugh. Being on edge is what kept you going, especially during stressful times. Your winter break was not as relaxing as you had hoped and now you were worried over classes before they even started.

"that's okay." He replied nonchalantly. And he still held you. 

"..." 

It took you a few moments. First to realize Sans meant it, and was actually encouraging it. Then a few more to actually physically relax. Small moments of unclenching your jaw, lowering your shoulders, letting go of tension in your neck.

Slowly but surely he felt you feel like you were finally letting go of some stress. After a few moments he gave your back a small rub to see if you were awake. You exhaled and he felt a wetness near the neck of his shirt. Were you crying….?

He pulled his head back and looked down. 

Nope. Drooling. 

The skeleton smirked and slowly leaned back, as your now limp body was getting a little heavy and he'd rather you put your weight on him rather than sliding off the couch. He felt your body rise and fall as you breathed. And maybe snored. He felt his own sockets getting heavy and shifted slightly. This was… nice.

\-------------

His eye lights fluttered back to consciousness at the sound of a phone notification. His brother's jeans were at eye level. Glancing up he saw his brother holding his phone horizontal and moving it vertically to start texting. 

"wha..?"

"I TURNED THE FLASH OFF THIS TIME." His voice was more of a whisper. What the heck?

"IT'S PAST MIDNIGHT. Y/N'S PHONE MUST BE OFF SINCE THEIR ROOMMATE ASKED ME IF THEY WERE ALIVE."

You suddenly stirred and Sans tensed as you tried to gather your bearings. He flushed slightly as you were moving against his ribs until you could find some couch to support your arm with. 

"-What time is it?" You slurred; your hair mussed and your eyes not fully awake. 

Papyrus began to tilt his phone again until Sans' arm shot up and snagged it from him "okay, see you later, y/n. i'll charge pap's phone while you're gone." He gently removed yourself from him and got up.

You gave an unnecessary apology to the brothers and Paps gave you a ride back to your apartment. 

Sans went ahead and deleted the photo off his brother's phone… after looking at it for a while. He was glad you were able to rest. … And really glad to know you were comfortable with him now. He doesn't usually hug, but it almost felt restrictive not being able to, before. 

….

He also texted Alphys and Undyne to stop asking his brother for drama updates like it was a shoujo manga.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus: I can't give out a number it would be a breech of trust.  
> Also Papyrus: the moment it focuses on teasing my brother all personal boundries are okay to cross.
> 
> Again, more character development this time. But it will benefit the plot 🕶️


	10. All wrapped up and nowhere to go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans opens up a little more in his attempt to help you and you learn about his home underground in more ways than one.

You shivered as the door closed behind your class heading out to the skeleton's back yard. They were going to engage in a snowball fight and you gladly stayed indoors. Sans must have seen you clutching your coat tightly as he came in with a blanket. Decorated with bones, of course.

You smiled as you took the blanket and laid it across your lap; Sans sat down in a neighboring chair as he fiddled with his worm-on-a-string again. You were about to pull out a notebook when you suddenly remembered one of your classes' discussions today. 

"Oh, hey, can I ask you a question about the underground? For one of my classes?" You clarified. Some monsters have different thoughts on the underground. Some positive and some negative. From what you could tell, the brothers were indifferent but they obviously lived up here instead. 

He glanced up from his bright pink worm and paused for a quick moment. ".....only if i get to ask something back?" he answered casually. 

You nodded your head in agreement, figuring this was a cultural exchange. "In regards to agriculture, what kind of resources did you have to cultivate crops in the region of the underground you lived in?" Ah yes, you were the classic textbook.

He suddenly looked surprised, and then gave a small chuckle. Of course you would ask a question like that. So many times humans would ask questions about the difficulty of living underground, but here you were just asking standard mechanics for what he could assume was your new soil study class. 

You tried to backtrack, as this may have been too weird to ask suddenly. "Sorry, I tried looking up information about the soil on the undernet, but all I got was a thread on cleanliness by some guy named Woshua." That got another smirk.

"heh…. we lived in snowdin, where most crops were grown." He shrugged his shoulders and he continued. "i didn't grow anything myself, but from what the locals told me it was a combination of cave soil, artificial sunlight from the core and magic attacks." 

"... Attacks?" You had already learned about the Core when monsters first came to the surface.

He clutched the worm slightly as he made a very tiny bone attack in his other hand. "magic." He answered casually. "throw a few attacks in the ground, let them dissipate, and it gave the energy for monster crops to grow." You watched as his tiny attack suddenly dissolved into the air. 

"That's so cool." You found yourself blurting out. You had tried your best to not make everyday monster activities sound like a spectacle, as they are probably sick of it by now. But truthfully, you were also impressed by finding out how things worked even before monsters came to the surface. "...Sorry… your attack just explained it really well…"

It was true, Sans was getting a little tired of people treating monsters as exotic mystery creatures, but he knew your amazement as genuine, and it felt nice to impress you for once. ".....thanks" he fidgeted, not sure what the thought he had just meant. "my turn?" Also, he was probably going to sour the mood in a moment. 

That's right, he agreed if he could ask a question back. "Sure, go ahead." You replied, used to answering questions about the surface. 

".... have you filled out that theatre position application, yet?"

It was true. That did sour the mood. You sighed. "No. Because I won't get it." You answered, slightly annoyed. You thought you made this clear last time. 

"yeah, probably."

"Ouch?" Hecking rude?

"but you should still apply for the experience."

Your eyes widened in disbelief. "Experience of rejection? I can't say that really boosts confidence."

"it only hurts confidence when you only apply to things you think you'll get." he started moving the worm between his fingers again. 

You stared at him. He clearly was trying to tell you something. And it seemed like maybe you deserved a little more than something akin to an old horse lecture. 

The worm kept moving and he moved his attention towards it. ".... okay, so, you know i have a science-doesn't-translate-well-to-surface degree, right?"

You nodded your head and he must have seen you out of the corner of his socket since he continued. 

"well, it had to do with the science running the core, and i was at the top of the class with an internship history running the thing, so here's an example of what i could apply to and get." 

The worm weaved between his fingers and he didn't tear his eyes away from it. 

"my friend had a similar degree, without the experience. we both apply and she gets it because she happened to make something that caught the king's interest." 

The worm kept moving but he paused as though he was choosing his words carefully. ".... don't get me wrong, i was happy for her. and i ended up dodging a bullet. but…."

The worm stopped moving. 

"it kind of hurt to not get the only thing i applied to... plus have it be the first thing that rejected me." He took a moment. "i second guessed every application after that, especially since i'd never be as qualified for them as i was for that." 

"..."

The silence of the room was only interrupted by a few snowballs as they pelted the house. You absorbed the information given. You thought the idea of applying to something you wouldn't get would hurt your confidence, but it appears there are worse things. Sans didn't want you to go through something he did, and he explained it by telling you something very personal. It was an even deeper layer of vulnerability than you had experienced before from him. 

Suddenly, one of your classmates' phones started playing a pop song ringtone from their backpack.

The worm started moving again. "a-anyway, sorry to keep harping on this one-note topic. i'd understand if you tuned me out. i can give it a rest since advice isn't my forte, and you can do what comes naturally."

You removed your hand from the bone blanket and slowly rested it on his shoulder, so as to not surprise him. You knew what you had to do was for a friend, rather than a position. "That's no treble at all... Do you think you could help me fill it out later tonight?" 

He seemed relieved by your answer. "absolutely. and for your effort, i'll even give the cheap 'trill' of an outing at my favorite restaurant when the results come back." He winked, now more relaxed that he didn't make things worse. 

For a moment you felt his bribe had another message behind it………. Oh! It must be to try monster food since you were discussing underground crop systems! "'Sounds' like a plan!" you smiled and brought your hand back. 

He pocketed the worm and seemed pleased as he excused himself to the living room once more. Your classmates started coming in while kicking the snow off their boots and yelling how cold it was outside. Also that Papyrus was too good at the game and how they all lost against him. 

\-----

You sat at the table with Sans bouncing off ideas to put in the application. It had questions like examples of you dealing with stress and how the issue was resolved. From what you put it sounded like this theatre was a lot of… drama.

After that bad pun, your classmates had already left, and even Papyrus excused himself to help Undyne once more with a heating lamp. It sounded like they were mounted on the ceiling and she often needed his height. 

You finish the questions and look over your answers. "I feel like I should put more but I can't think of anything."

"if they needed more they'd probably ask you in person. besides, what you filled out was enough and anything past this is just stress." He assured you; his chin resting on his hand. 

You took a breath, held it, and then pressed the 'send' button on the application. "Well there's no going back now!" And you stood up, both feeling relieved but also to calm the restlessness in your nerves. 

You looked around and noticed Papyrus hadn't washed the dishes yet. "Mind if I wash those?" You asked. 

He raised a bone-brow. "you know you're a guest in our house, right?" 

You shrugged. "Yeah, but it helps with my nerves…. Also my hands are a little cold, so with one less chore for Papyrus, that's a triple win."

He shrugged and told you to go ahead. You put on the bright yellow gloves and started the water on extra hot. Getting the sponge lathered up, you began rinsing out and cleaning the mugs that had held everyone's hot cocoa. Sans felt himself staring at your back, watching you as you worked. You seemed to calm down and you focused on the dishes; his eye lights followed as your hair bobbed slightly back and forth as you turned from the dirty dishes to the sink to the drying rack. For some reason it was calming to watch, but he also felt like he should be doing something? Maybe if Papyrus wasn't so insistent on air drying he could be up there drying dishes next to you, like those 'domestic fluff fiction' stories Alphys made him read once….. Wait, why was he thinking that?

His phone started blasting Moonlight Sonota played only by trombones. "hey paps, what's up?" He answered.

His casual smile became a little nervous. "it is, huh?" He got out of his chair; his pink slippers scuffling on the kitchen floor as he moved to the living room. "uh huh…. i see… oh yeah, you're right." His fingers peeked open the blinds as he glanced outside. "no, you're fine. alphys has that generator, yeah? yeah, we will. i dunno. we'll figure it out. okay. you too. bye."

You sounded like you finished the dishes and looked into the living room. "Was that Papyrus? Is he okay?" You must have heard the tone of his voice change. 

He pocketed the phone. "yeah, he's fine, we both feel like we're back at home right now." And he tilted his head towards the window. 

Taking his signal, you opened the blinds and looked outside. "Oh my God- when did- we're snowed in!" You paused and suddenly mumbled "snowed in, snowdin, I see, that's a pun there-" but then drew your focus back to the window. "No but seriously, is your brother stuck at Undyne's? " You seemed to be doing some math in your head. "...I can't even walk in that…" it was at least a foot deep and still snowing heavily.

"it's okay. he's safe at 'dyne's, and you can stay here until it clears up. we just have to be careful in case-"

The room suddenly went dark and all you saw was the light from the moon peering in, and Sans' skeletal eye lights. "... the power goes out."

There was a silence as you assessed the situation. You pulled out your phone and turned the flashlight on, aiming at the floor. "Okay, do you have any candles?"

"papyrus has some scented ones in the windowsill over there… i'll get a lighter from upstairs." He headed upstairs while you went to the window.

You picked up the black Yankee Brand candle and saw a handwritten "MOON" after someone had crossed out the title 'midsummer night' description. You shrugged and brought the candle to the end table next to the couch. Sans soon joined you and used a BBQ lighter to light the wick. The room glowed slightly and you pocketed your phone. 

"Brr…" you rubbed your arms and looked at the dining room table where the bone blanket was. "Sorry, I'm going to borrow that again…" 

Sans watched your figure as you grabbed the blanket and draped it over your shoulders. ".... guess it's probably a bad time to let you know our heat is powered by electricity and not gas."

You paused, suddenly realizing it was only going to get colder. "Oh gosh, sorry, do you need this?" And you offered the blanket like you weren't just shivering ten seconds ago. 

He shook his head. "nah, temperature change doesn't bother us. here, i'll get some more blankets. you try to huddle on the couch." 

You did just that and cocooned yourself with the blanket, drawing up your legs. When Sans came down, he only saw your head. Chuckling, he then layered two more blankets over you and sat on the other side of the couch. 

"Are you sure you're not cold? I don't recall you being room temperature when I accidently fell asleep on you last week..." You asked from your layered burrito fort.

"eh, skeletons work differently than humans, but we're not completely cold blooded. especially since we don't have any blood." He joked. "our magic sort of… mimics the temperature around us?" like if the air conditioning was running and i stood in front of it, i could probably help chill some drinks by holding them."

"... Isn't that uncomfortable?" You asked, gears turning in your head.

He shook his head. "nah, it's only bad if it's extreme. paps and i still wear shoes and coats in the snow so the ice doesn't get in our joints and makes it hard to walk." He scratched at his chin in thought. "but the temperature can affect items around us if we use them, so that's why we still have heating in the house… when the power is on." 

"So when I fell asleep on you, you mimicked my body temperature and we both gave off body heat." You needed clarification as your nose was getting colder. 

He nodded his head in agreement, then turned to look at you with a lazy wink. "yeah, why you bringing that up?"

Suddenly your nose wasn't as cold as you felt some heat in your cheeks. "Well then… wouldn't it make sense if you…?" You directed your eyes towards him and the blanket pile you lived in. 

"if i what?" He asked with a dumb grin.

Okay, you were getting too cold for this game. "PLEASE get in the blankets, if you don't mind." And you created an opening with your arm.

His grin got wider, but he complied and got under the blankets with his body pressed against the side of yours. You froze. He was COLD, the LIAR-- and suddenly, your ice cold friend started warming up like a plug in heater. 

"Oh… that's nice." You said without thinking. 

"heh… thanks?" You stared at each other for a moment. You never really looked at his face this closely before. It appears he was thinking the same thing, as his eye lights jumped around your face as well. 

HEY WOW YOUR FACES ARE CLOSE.

You suddenly broke eye contact and moved around, pulling out your phone and setting it up on a kickstand on the end table. "... W-we can watch one of the movies for my film class until the power turns back on." You suggested, but you started the movie without his answer. 

The movie was slow and quiet, mostly fueled by awkward pauses and high tension between characters and little dialog. Which was good because reading the captions on your tiny phone screen was almost impossible. You find yourself shifting around, trying to be close enough to the screen to read any text, but also not blocking the screen for Sans... and you were just trying to get comfortable. 

You could see how this film was good for its own reasons, but you can't say it's a fun movie to watch with friends. It was kind of awkward. You fidgeted again.

Sans suddenly moved his arm behind your back and his boney hand rested on your side. "are you still cold?" He must have thought you were shivering again. 

You shook your head. "No… I'm just not getting into this movie, but I don't know what else to do." You admitted.

"... bored, huh?" His fingers curled in sightly at your side. 

You tensed but your face grew a stupid, nervous grin. "A little..?" Your voice squeaked. 

A lightbulb went off in his head. "here?" He questioned, realizing your reaction. "you don't even have any bone here." And his fingers poked into the soft flesh of your side exploring.

"Ohohohh mygosh what are you doheheing…!" Snickers spilled from your mouth as you shook your head. You suddenly realized you were stuck. The blankets not only blocked the view to see his hands, but you were both trapped in this cacoon together. 

He was probably enjoying this more than he should. His fingers alternating between lightly poking, kneading and scratching, trying to figure out what worked better. Your giggles trying to hide while you playfully tried to stop his hands with your own. His own soft laughter joining in as you seemed to be enjoying yourself. 

You know, maybe he could get away with what you said before. "why are you acting so c-"

The sound of the heater starting up and house lights turning on stopped both his hands and what he almost said. The TV started playing an old comedy and the images reflected in the glass of the candle. You batted lightly at his hands again, saying you 'give up' in a huff of tired laughter. Still in the blanket wrap, he moved his hands and sat slightly back, giving you your space. He watched as you calmed down and drew your attention to the tv; your face flushed from the one sided fight. 

"This is a good one." You said, reaching over and turning off your phone. 

"yeah." He answered, but to nothing in particular. 

\------

You ended up falling asleep again, but this time leaning on the arm of the couch. Looking around, it was morning. Sans was no longer sitting next to you, but you could smell coffee while you heard the sound of someone shoveling snow outside. 

Sans walked in with two mugs. A black coffee for him and a coffee with some vanilla creamer for you, just the way you like it. Papyrus had come home a while ago and was clearing their driveway. The roads were plowed enough to head home. You gave your goodbye hugs and the taller brother drove you home. 

"I HOPE YOU RECEIVED THE BEST HOSPITALITY DURING YOUR STAY. I APOLOGISE I COULD NOT DRIVE YOU HOME LAST NIGHT."

You told him it wasn't his fault the snow stopped his car and things at their house were very lovely. "I did use up some of your vanilla creamer, though." Obviously if Sans drinks his coffee black, it must be his brother's. 

"THAT WAS NOT MINE. I'M MORE OF A TEA DRINKER. THAT CREAMER HAS BEEN SITTING IN THE FRIDGE FOR THE LAST WEEK, UNTOUCHED." 

He flipped the turn signal and headed down the road to your apartment. "Oh."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sans, how many stories did Alphys make you read, or how many stories did you read and are blaming on Alphys because I'm starting to think you LIKED READING THEM.


	11. Grillby's: START!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're not too bummed about not getting that theatre position, but your insecurities find another way into the night. Obligatory chapter at Grillby's because MAGIC.

Y/N: So I didn't get the stage manager job  
Sahahans: nice  
Sahahans: r u ok?  
Y/N: Yeah I'm good  
Y/N: we got a new director and he… has a different vision.  
Y/N: I may have dodged a bullet  
Sahahans: nice  
Sahahans: did u want to go grab some food then?  
Y/N: It's already 8pm? I think we missed dinner.  
Sahahans: i'm good to eat if you are. plus they have good drinks.   
Y/N: sure. Let me get ready.

\-----

You admittedly already changed into your pajamas since Layla was having a 'personal' night out. It was still cold out, so you changed back into your jeans and looked at your closet. A random button-up works. You tried to fix your hair the best you could and grabbed your coat when you heard a honk outside your door. 

Locking the door behind you, you look out to see Papyrus' car with Sans in the back seat again. Another chauffeur trip again it seems. As you buckled up, Papyrus already seemed to be spoiling the surprise of where you were going.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE TAKING Y/N TO GRILLBY'S, OF ALL PLACES. IT'S STILL JUST AS GREASY AS BEFORE. WHY NOT MTT RESORT? IT IS SO MUCH CLASSIER FOR-"

Sans cut him off. "-it's a part of who i am, paps. it'd be weird if i didn't take them there." 

He sighed. "I SUPPOSE. WELL AT LEAST SEND MY REGARDS." he looped around the main roads until you arrived in front of the bar, which looked very familiar. 

"Wait, this is right between the grocery store and the school." You mentioned. "I walk by here all the time." You had never gone, as you really only visited bars if Layla was going with you and she didn't frequent here. 

Papyrus somehow blinked and looked out the window to the nearby cliff of the hilly college town. From here you could see the roof of your upstairs neighbors. "WELL, IF YOU DECIDE YOU CAN'T STAND THE FOOD, YOU AT LEAST HAVE AN EASY ESCAPE. HAVE FUN AND CALL IF YOU NEED ANYTHING. I'LL BE AT HOME AT A REASONABLE HOUR, YOU HOOLIGANS."

"thanks bro, you're the best." Sans said, and you hopped out of the car and waved goodbye. 

Once the red car drove away, you headed inside the log cabin-style eatery. A warmth washed over you, instantly providing relief from the late January winter chill. The air, in fact, did smell of grease, but it was delicious and an unfamiliar tune played through the room from the corner jukebox. 

Sans motioned you over to the bar where you got adjacent seats overlooking the bartending area, as well as the bartender. Who was on fire. Or was a fire. Hopefully just a fire elemental and not a terrible juncture. 

"hey, grillbs, this is y/n." You waved. "we'll take two burgs, two fries, and let them see the drink menu. i'll have the c.t.sunset." he seemed to know exactly how everything worked here. 

You glanced around and the room where it was packed with people-- No, monsters. You saw one unfamiliar human across from the bar but it appeared they were with friends, too. You would think college students would flock to a monster bar, but the biggest difference between monster and surface consumables was that humans can't get intoxicated from monster alcohol. Nor could monsters from surface alcohol.

A printed menu suddenly appeared in front of you, courtesy of the fire elemental, and you looked it over. You noticed the drink Sans had. It was described as sea-tea infusion with a citrus twist. But then you noticed every drink item had a short, handwritten note on the side. This one said 'adrenaline'. You turned to your friend. "Adrenaline?" That didn't sound like something he would drink.

For a moment he looked at the menu in confusion, but then turned to the bartender who was apparently talking to him, even though you could only hear cracks and snaps. 

"huh, apparently grilbs has had enough humans in here that they began to write down what happens when they consume his cocktails. neat." At that moment he was handed a yellow and green gradient drink with a decorative twisted lemon slice. "did you want a sip?" He joked.

"I'll pass." You have a small laugh. You did not want a literal shot of adrenaline, so you looked over the menu's hand written notes. " 'Crabappletini, a fruit fusion with a hint of caramel. Joy'…. That sounds good?" You pointed at the item and the flaming bartender seemed to understand. Turning back to your cohort, you now noticed his new friend.

A strange bunny looking creature was practically hanging on his chair; her ears hanging over her shoulders. "Heyyy, Sansy~ Long time no see! What brings you here? Showing off to a new friend?"she leaned on his shoulder and winked at you. 

"hey, db. i've just been hanging out with paps and his classmates. stole this one as a friend. not enough time to come back to the haunt the usual five times a day." He tilted his head towards you and winked as well. "this is y/n, and they're here to be thoroughly impressed by grillby's spread."

You waved. Even though you were being mentioned, you couldn't help but feel like a third wheel for a moment. Mostly because this place was unfamiliar. Also the bunny seemed to be trying to monopolize his time. She didn't leave his shoulder and was trying to catch him up on the bar's gossip.

The bartender soon returned and handed you a green drink with a rim almost resembling pie crust. You took a sip, were satisfied by the taste, and drank it quickly out of boredom. There wasn't much to do while you waited on the food. You don't want to interrupt your friend and his conversation. Besides, what would you even talk about? After a while, Sans was about halfway through his drink when his new friend peeked over at you and smiled. "How are you feeling, human?"

You looked up. Oh right, 'Joy'. You guess you were happy to be with your friend in a new place? You wouldn't exactly call it joy, though. As you opened your mouth to respond, there was a sudden tug on your throat and you quickly felt incredibly emotional. Bringing your hands to your mouth, your vision went blurry and was only cleared by blinking…. You were crying. Like, a lot. Just little waterfalls running didn't the sides of your cheeks. You didn't realize how warm the room was until you felt the water rapidly cooling off your face. But this wasn't sad crying? You almost remembered this exact emotion when you saw that baby bunny last year. That didn't make bawling in a restaurant suddenly less embarrassing, though. 

"Awwww, I bet you're the type to cry at weddings. That's cute~" DB elbowed Sans, who seemed to have no idea what was wrong since he had never seen a human drink monster drinks before. Luckily, Grillby came by to 'explain' things to him and offer a stack of napkins. 

You shoved the napkins to your face until it stopped leaking, and the bunny seemed to whisper something to your friend. You personally were too preoccupied cleaning your face, but the rabbit laughed as his face turned blue and he shoved her away. He took a breath, shot the last of his drink and turned to help you out.

"s...sorry, grillbs says this particular drink does that every once in a while… the food should be ready soon" he wasn't sure how to comfort you. Technically, you weren't sad. Just embarrassed. He would have rested his hand on yours, except it was preoccupied with your snot.

After all that, you wanted to eat your emotions, so once the food arrived you were pretty excited. Sensing your enthusiasm, your friend also became excited for a meal. Setting down the trays, Grillby pulled out his menu again and pointed to another drink. "SweetaRita, a mix of lime and spirits. 'my favorite flavor'" you read aloud, but seemed hesitant. 

"he says no one has had a bad reaction to this one, and it's very popular with humans. also it's on the house since the last one didn't turn out too well…. aww, how kind, grillbs. i'll take one too, then." He grinned at Grillby who only stared back. His fire face never changed, but you could almost tell he was rolling his non-existant eyes while heading back to the kitchen. 

Luckily the food was great. The burger was delicious and the fries were perfect, especially in ketchup. You could see why Sans would be a regular here. The only weird part was how the food energized you immediately, rather than that usual lull of energy after a meal. You expressed how much you liked it and you both seemed to relax again.

A citrus drink in a Collins glass was placed in front of each of you, and the bartender held still, waiting for your reaction. Sans immediately took a sip and gave a thumbs up to the owner. 

You took a breath and held the drink in your hands. It was cool and smelled of lime, so you figured I'd probably taste like a margarita. You took a sip and quickly put your hand to your mouth in surprise.

"This tastes exactly like chocolate cake!" Not chocolate cake flavored. EXACTLY like chocolate cake. Grillby seemed pleased, and left to continue his work. Sans just seemed delighted by your enthusiasm. 

Pausing for a moment, you started to question it. "Wait, I mean, I like chocolate cake right now, but I wouldn't call it my absolute favorite? I mean sometimes I also like pumpkin pie more? Or banana creme… no… right now I'd say pumpkin.."   
you mumbled, chewing your lip sightly as you tried to figure out how the drink worked. You took another sip. "Holy crap, now it TASTES LIKE PUMPKIN PIE!" You uncharacteristically got louder because: holy crap, magic.

You were excited and amazed and Sans just liked watching you debate this with yourself. He slipped his drink at the same rate you did, pretending he was experiencing what you were. It just tasted like a lime drink to him. You mumbled again, took another sip, and had another shock as it tasted like tacos. Other monsters were watching you for entertainment. He laughed and finished his drink, happy that you were happy. 

You both laughed and talked for a while. The drunk bunny watched from afar and eventually didn't seem interested after it looked like you were hitting it off. Your drink was quickly finished, and your friend asked if you wanted to try another, so you agreed, now sold on the experience. You looked over the menu again.

"Strawberry Soul-bond, a berry and creme drink. 'color'" you hummed and decided you wanted this one. The drink name was a little embarrassing to to your monster friend, but even human drinks have names like 'sex on the beach'. Sans ordered one as well, and requested it was made a double. It came out bigger and looked incredibly floofy with excessive whipped cream on top.

You both sipped your drinks and talked about how the previous director won the lottery and how that whole system works on the surface. You occasionally glanced at your skin or at things around you, expecting to change color, but didn't notice anything. At least the drink was good and tasted like a strawberry milkshake. Music continued to play from the jukebox.

"oh…" after a couple minutes, Sans stopped mid conversation and looked directly at you. 

You glanced back and forth, not sure if he was looking at you or something directly behind you. "What? What is it?"

He set his near empty drink down and scratched the side of his face while he still stared at you. "your eyes look like they have your soul in it. they're vibrant blue." 

You picked up your phone and activated the selfie camera, and it was true. You had seen your soul in encounters before. That deep integrity blue. "Oh.. " you almost sounded disappointed. Putting away your phone, you seemed to blink more and tried not to maintain too long of eye contact. 

While you seemed to have a moment of insecurity, Sans appeared to be talking to Grillby about something, but also seemed bummed when he was handed a bill instead of what he asked for. You looked over and quickly pulled out enough for your half of the meal and drinks and stood up, getting ready to leave. 

You were already getting mentally ready to leave, but were still waiting on your friend who continued to look confused. He appeared to pay the rest of the bill and soon followed you out of the bar. "hey, are you doing alright? the night is still young."

You started pulling out some non-slip shoe coverings made of stretchy springs from your pocket. "It's almost midnight, I'm probably going to head home. Is Papyrus coming to pick you up?" It sounded like you were going to walk home. 

He shook his head. "nah, i know a shortcut."

You frowned. You didn't know what that meant. Was he planning to get home by himself after drinking? "Sans, no." And you motioned towards the nearby cliff your apartment rested on. "If Papyrus isn't coming then just crash at my place. I don't want you going home alone." 

He gave a sleepy hum. "okay, you talked me into it. lead the way." And held a grin as you approached the walkway up the cliff. 

You took a few steps up and immediately turned around to the sound of a skeleton slipping on the ice just half a step in. This is why you had those shoe covers. After a panic and relief of finding he was okay, your friend once more grinned, insisting he was good to go. Yeah, you didn't believe it. "Okay, no, get in front of me. Come on." You scooted him ahead and walked directly behind him with your hand on the railing. 

Just as you figured, after a handful of steps , he slipped again. You braced your grip on the railing and caught him against your chest, holding on until he steadied his footing. 

"oh, heh, you're right there. hello." He slowly grabbed the railing and pulled himself off of you. Balancing himself on the stairs, he started up again and you continued for about seven steps until he fell back again. 

"we've got to stop meeting like this, heh heh" you gave a small laugh in response but were focused on making sure both you and him didn't fall. It was extra important you maintained your footing. He started up again for about five steps, and then slipped once more. 

"Are you doing this on purpose?" You joked.

"nah, i just keep fallin' for you, i can't help it." He sleepily grinned, then started up again. 

You stilled. Not sure how to take that. But remembered your main focus was to get him safely to your apartment. You both managed to waddle up to your front door where he slipped again and you quickly caught him against the wall. He was going to seriously hurt himself!

He looked at you and smiled again. "at least you're soft and warm, s'not a bad place to land."

"Soft?" Was he… talking about your weight?

"yeah, human soft. " He reached up and cupped your cheek with his (initially cold) skeleton hand. "s'nice"

You felt your face flush a little and you moved to quickly open the apartment door with your keys. "Let's get inside, it's freezing out here." 

You turned the lights on your empty apartment and sat him on the couch. As you took off your coat, you rubbed at your face to get rid of your blushing. He was drunk. Nothing he says should mean anything and what would be worse than taking him seriously only to have him take it back when sober? You need to be the responsible friend until he's better. He already put up with your tipsy ass twice already, you owe him this. Picking up a clean cup, you filled it with water and brought it back to your friend. 

He was rubbing at his eyes, clearly trying to sober up. When he saw the glass of water, he reached out and took it, thanking you before chugging it immediately. You say down next to him, concerned. At least with humans, chugging water that quickly in a state of inebriation, well… it tends to come back quickly. Instead, he looked relieved and set the glass down before looking directly back at you. "heh… your eyes just look so neat right now."

You started blinking again, and looked away. You figured it hasn't been long enough since you finished your drink. 

"why are you doing that?" 

"... Doing what?" You asked, now looking at your hands in case you were doing some sort of nervous tick.

"looking away. like you don't like me looking at your eyes? or soul? i'm not sure why." He almost looked hurt. Ah, geeze. 

"No… I just don't… Like my soul trait?" Your hand waved oddly, not sure how to explain yourself.

He shot up "...why??" Now he almost looked at you like you just slapped him. Unknown to you, not liking something about your soul was like admitting you hated yourself in monster culture. "integrity is a really admirable trait-!""

You waved him off, trying to calm him down. "It's not bad! It's just…." Now you just felt childish saying you didn't like your trait when he was going to take it so hard. He waited for your answer. You took a breath. "... I just… when I found out about soul traits… I thought I'd be Kindness and when I wasn't…." You huffed. You remembered at a young age, trying to give gifts and watch out for others as much as you could. "That maybe this whole time I thought I was being kind, I actually wasn't." You swallowed. "And that would explain why I'm not very good at being approachable. And… maybe-" you stopped, and quickly rubbed your eyes, almost surprised at how emotional you were getting. 

Monsters were probably right in not trash talking their souls. Even admitting it now was somehow tearing you up. You really were ruining what was supposed to be a fun night. 

Skeletal hands suddenly found their way onto your shoulders. "hey….your primary soul trait doesn't mean you don't have any of the other traits. you could be 49% kindness and 51% integrity for all you know…. it's a great trait. i know i can trust you….. please, please know that."

Okay on one hand that was really nice and flattering. On the other, you felt bad for your insecurities and also how much did he really mean in his current state? 

"Okay. Okay." You mumbled, not sure what else to say. 

His hands slid down your shoulders, but instead of letting go, they traced back to your shoulders again. "you're…. a good person to be around…" his hand then traced upward along your hairline. "like… you are good, ya'know?" He closed his eyes.

Your breath caught as he pulled you close and rested his forehead on yours. You felt his breath on your cheek as he tilted his face closer against your suddenly hot face. His hands were now grasping loosely on your buttoned shirt, anywhere he could get a grip for balance. "you know i…. you know you're… " he seemed to be leaning towards you. ".... really…. soft…." 

There was a pause. His weight then shifted both against you and against the back of the couch you were both sitting on. His grip went limp and even though he was fairly light for a skeleton, he was definitely a dead weight at this moment. 

Speaking of moments. What was that!? He just passed the fuck out! Your heart was racing, but you felt like if you moved, he'd fall right off the couch. Okay, take a breath, think. 

Your drunk friend said some very nice things. Your drunk friend also says some flirty things but remember he's drunk so you're not sure if he knew he was being flirty or if he actually meant it. You… didn't want to risk… anything. You like what you have. You read a lot of situations wrong and if you read this one wrong, it would ruin everything. You sniffed, and then slowly lowered your friend on the couch as you slid to the floor. You got a spare blanket and laid it across him. Filling up the glass with water again, you set it on the coffee table. Pause. You sniffed again and shook your head. Then headed into your own room to get some sleep. 

\--------

Sans later awoke to Layla just staring at him, only asking why he was sleeping on the couch. That phrasing exactly. You were apparently still asleep in your room. He quietly excused himself and had an uneasy shortcut home. Yeah, drinking too make himself less nervous was ultimately not a good idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just character and world building in this one. And FEELINGS.


	12. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus and Layla think they have a sense of humor. You hang out with Sans and we have some callback to the first chapter.

It was morning and you poured your coffee into your favorite mug. Adding just the right amount of vanilla creamer, you hugged it lightly to your chest and looked out the window to see the late morning snow. It was so quiet. You took a sip, and only started to hear your roommate wake up. 

Layla's slippers scuffed along the kitchen linoleum as she headed to the sink to fill up the electric kettle. "Morning" she yawned. 

You still looked out the window; thinking. "Morning" you replied, zoning out in thought of last night. 

It took her a while to wake up. After making her tea and adding some sugar, she took a sip and finally turned towards you. "He was so bad, you sent him to the couch, huh?"

You blinked a few times, registering she was asking you a question. "No, he was fine... he just drank too much and--" you turned to your friend only to see her fighting a giant smile. Suddenly it hit you as your face turned red. "Shut up! Not like that!" 

She dodged a dry tea packet you threw at her in jest. "I mean, if he's not good with his hands, what else is there?" She asked in-between laughter. 

"I'm! Not! Having this conversation!" You shouted, trying really hard not to join her laughter and you shakily set your coffee down and reached for the box of tea bags. Layla was probably the only person who could get away with these jokes with you. 

"Okay, okay, I'm stopping." She grinned and took a sip of her tea as you set the box down and sat at the table. She patted your shoulder in comfort while taking another sip, then cleared her throat. "So what really happened? I thought you were in the cuddle-stage with him? I was surprised not to see you on the couch, too." 

You blushed nervously at her comment on the state of your relationship, but shook your head and calmed down. Your voice trying to be a source of knowledge, but there was a hint of regret as you spoke. "We went out, he drank too much, he didn't have a ride home so I brought him here where he passed out." You fidgeted with your pajama shirt as you spoke. 

"Yeah? What else? Did he try something?" She could break kneecaps.

"No! No… he wasn't bad. He just… was inebriated, and may have said some things he didn't mean, and passed out-- but that's fine. I'm good. He's good. It's fine." 

Layla's chin jutted out again in thought, but she didn't comment further. You seemed confused by whatever happened, and since none of it was worth murder, she will leave you to your thoughts. 

\------

"GOOD MORNING, BROTHER! HOW DID LAST NIGHT GO?" 

Sans made a hissing noise in response to the ringing in his non-existent ears as he shuffled into the kitchen directly to the coffee machine. "paps please, it is so early, can you turn it down a little." He begged.

"HMM… IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU SHOULD HAVE GONE TO MTT INSTEAD IF YOU WERE GOING TO GET, AS THE KIDS CALL IT, WASTED." but his voice was at a lower decibel.

"yeah, that was a mistake… my head is killing me." He loaded the machine and waited for the sweet nectar to brew. He was trying so hard to remember everything that happened last night. He must have tripped, as his bones hurt from impact. He remembers going to your place, talking about your soul and hanging out…were you cuddling? He doesn't remember cuddling. And then he must have passed out? He poured a cup and took a sip in thought while staring out the window at the snow.

"... SO I NOTICED YOU NEVER CALLED ME AND ONLY CAME HOME THIS MORNING. I WOULD TRUST THAT Y/N DIDN'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU IN THIS STATE, BUT THAT DOESN'T LEAVE MUCH ELSE TO THE IMAGINATION."

And then he spat out the coffee, luckily in the direction of the sink. "papyrus, please, stars, never imply something like that again." He coughed and ripped off a paper towel to wipe the counter and his face. 

No can do. This is what brothers do best. "WELL, WHAT ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO THINK? THAT YOU GOT SO NERVOUS YOU DRANK YOURSELF INTO A STUPOR AND THEN DID SOMETHING YOU WOULDN'T HAVE DONE OTHERWISE? AND YOU WERE BANNED TO SLEEP ON THE FLOOR OR GUEST ROOM?"

Okay, was Papyrus reading these fan fiction stories, too? Or was he that predictable? "... the couch." He was too hungover to deny anything. 

"AH." he seemed to consider the fallout. After all, you visit often for study groups. "DO YOU REMEMBER HOW IT ENDED?" 

"thought i did." He rubbed at his eyes. "but i also remember going to hotland and jumping on the vents so I'm not sure where the night ended and my dreams started." He sighed "i don't think i said or did anything unprofessional."

"WELL, LET'S HOPE SO."

\----

A couple days later and it was time for another study session. You had seemed more confident in this material, but it still was only a month into the class. Eventually it was time for a break. Your peers went outside to try some weird march exercise and you stayed in, heading over to the couch where your friend sat. 

"How are you doing?" You asked while sitting down.

"uh, better" he smiled, figuring you were referring to his hangover. "you?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm fine." You smiled and shook your head awkwardly. He was probably embarrassed, and you had already decided to not bring it up. 

Why weren't you bringing it up? It happened, right? Sans gave that same awkward smile back. The details were fuzzy for him, but you were acting like nothing was wrong? Except… didn't you do that before?

You decided to start talking about the drama in your theatre group to fill the silence. Anything to bring things back to normal. As you spoke, Sans nodded his head and smiled, but his comments were few, as though he was thinking about something. 

You held your smile but your gut sank. Without invitation, your brain started thinking of reasons. He must have remembered his flirting and realized he regretted it. It was best if you acted like nothing happened. That way he won't get uncomfortable and everything will go back to normal. No matter how much that thought hurt. 

\----

Eventually the study group got back together and eventually finished for the night. You wracked your brain trying to think of conversational topics to fill the silence again. It had become the habit for you to stay a little later and hang out. But maybe… he wouldn't want you to hang out. Maybe he just needs some space from you. You swallowed as your brain continued to shoot bile at your self confidence. 

Sans looked over as you hesitated, and started to pack your bag up, but not look in his direction like you used to. Maybe you were going home right away? He… didn't want that. He quickly headed over to you and pulled out his phone. "hey, come watch these vine compilations with me? i think you'd like it, i really meme it"

For a moment, your face looked serious as though you were considering something. But then you smirked at his pun and agreed. 

As everyone else went to Papyrus' car, the two of you headed to the couch where you both could get a good view of the screen. He held the phone in-between the both of you as you huddled together around the device. You were slightly bent over and watching intently. Occasionally a smile would widely crack on your face. Sometimes you'd look confused. Other times you'd laugh into the next skit. 

Truthfully, he had already seen this video ten times on his own, but you've only seen a few of these clips so it should keep you interested. He was really just watching you enjoy yourself. Tonight you were just acting…. Different. Distant. He didn't like it. It almost felt like he needed to comfort you? Or maybe he himself wanted comfort? Suddenly, he had an idea. A hug would fix this.

He continued to hold the phone nervously and didn't move. It… Felt weird to ask for things when you're not your usual chummy self. But you know what? Since he's arrived on the surface he's seen a few human movies in this situation. Okay, he can plan this.

Step one: pretend to stretch. He doesn't have muscles but he could blame falling down in the snow last night for being sore. Step two: he would lower his arm around your shoulder. That's already half a hug. Step three: he'd mimic your temperature and it being early February, you wouldn't be able to resist a hug.... Right? He has no idea but those movies made it seem like it would work. Okay, go.

Taking a breath, he rolled his shoulder of his arm closest to you while his other arm held the phone in place. He then pulled back his arm and stretched out, noising a grunt as he extended his arm six inches above your back. You suddenly stopped watching the video and turned to face him.

"Oh, are you okay? Do you need me to move or hold the screen?" …. Maybe the grunt was too convincing. 

"...nah, i'm just a little sore from the ice." His arm continued to hover above your shoulder. He can't lower it while you're still looking at him though. 

"Ah, geeze, I'm sorry. Have you been able to find ways to treat it?" You were no longer even paying attention to the video. Just looking right at him. 

"... just, uh, rest." His arm started to shake slightly but he tried to keep his regular casual smile. Putting his arm down would definitely make it feel better. 

You tilted your head in thought. "I know if you were human, your shoulders would probably hurt from flailing around to keep your balance on the ice." You continued to think. "Typically humans would have a massage to feel better, but that's because we have muscles…" a hum in thought. "But you also have something akin to nerves and reflexes, so would it really be different?" 

His arm was getting tired and he wasn't sure what you were getting at. All he knew were that his chances for a hug were trashed at this point. "...uh?"

"Did you want to try? A massage, I mean. It might help." You suggested, shrugging your shoulders. You saw no problem with it, as this is what friends do. If Layla needed one, you'd offer. 

He blinked. "...uh… how?" 

You stood up, almost knocking into his hand. Looking around, you grabbed two throw pillows and stacked them on the floor in front of the couch. You then collected another decorative pillow from the armchair (black with white bones of course) and set it in front of the stack of two pillows. You got down and sat on the taller stack, and requested your friend to take off his coat and sit on the black and white pillow between your legs. 

He hesitated, but followed your instruction. One moment you were ready to leave and now you're basically hugging him from behind. Also he often didn't go without his coat; his white t-shirt and stains visible.

"Okay, I'm just going to try and 'massage' your neck, shoulders, and back- whatever seems to work. If you don't like something, please let me know." You gave your usual set of instructions, waiting for consent.

"okay…" he answered, not really sure what to expect. Out of your view, he was blushing a little, not sure what to do with his hands. Meanwhile the fact his body was getting warmer from the close contact with you was also heating up things. 

You rested your hands on his shoulders and lightly rubbed his back with a flat palm. It felt… nice. Eventually you started working in your thumbs into his literal shoulder blades. He twitched slightly, but relaxed into it and eventually became less nervous. 

This was comforting. It wasn't a hug but it was close. He could feel your intent, and it was purely to help and comfort. It was strong and pure. Good intent. Truthfully, he was not sore in his arms at all. The only place that hurt slightly was his hip when he fell on it. He also didn't have muscles, so he couldn't say it was physically therapeutic. But mentally and emotionally therapeutic? Yes. 

You tried to lightly massage your friend, not sure if it was doing anything. There was no tissue to gauge. But he seemed a lot calmer, so you figured you were at least doing something right. "Was there anywhere you'd like me to focus?" 

His eyes were closed. "mmm, no, not really-" wait, no "-i mean, just kinda all over." Okay, he wasn't being truthful, but he was happy and you seemed happy, so that's all that matters, right? You leaned slightly forward, temporarily pressing against his back as you adjusted your seating. Your hands then continued to trace your fingertips on his back in attempts to massage a literal skeleton.

He flushed slightly again. You were so soft. You…. Wait... Soft? His eyes opened slightly. He called you soft that night, didn't he? And he held your face? As your hands rubbed his shoulders he had another thought. He remembered grabbing your shoulders and then… he…leaned forward and... IT WAS ALL COMING BACK TO HIM NOW.

Unaware of his epiphany, you noticed him tense up and decided to try the middle back. He tended to lounge, and he may have 'knots' similar to those with bad posture. Your thumbs dragged down his spine and then fanned out across his middle ribs. 

Despite having a sudden revolation, Sans fucking CACKLED so abruptly he slapped his hands over his mouth. You stopped. 

"Sorry, should I stop?" You didn't do it on purpose, but it sounded like you were holding in a laugh.

He had a hard time calming down. He wasn't expecting that! And he couldn't see you so his body was tensely expecting it to happen again! Fighting a smile he answered. "nah, keep doing what you're doing."

You relaxed. Then your thumbs lowered down his spine again, and this time very slowly fanned out across a different set of ribs. You might have been teasing. He did say to 'keep doing what you're doing', after all.

He wasn't sure if his word choice was subconscious or not, but didn't seem to mind as he held in his laughter. His hands squeezed lightly on his knees as his shoulders shook, trying to keep quiet for no reason at all. 

Honestly this was a relief for the both of you. You both could still share this vulnerability together, even if this was only as far as you both went. 

Of course… Sans himself wasn't 100% sure on how far HE went. He remembered his face on yours… but then what? Did you like it? Were you offended? Was it a kiss? Was it rejection? Was it more? Did-- okay, was curious as he was, his face was already flushed and he had a hard time focusing when your fingers would peek slightly in-between his ribs, especially close to the spine. 

By this point he couldn't hold it in very well. A combination of snickers and airy laughter escaped him as he sat as still as he could on the pillow. Your hands moved slowly, drawing the giggles out of him. At some point only a few of your fingers were 'massaging' while your other fingers hovered with the movement and lightly scratched as your hands moved. 

And you, for a moment, could finally shut up that negative voice in your head. Just focus on there here and now. Unfortunately the here and now was the aftermath of how the voice made you feel. Slightly more vulnerable. There wasn't the feeling of shame and loud insecurities, just a small bit lingering loneliness. But you weren't alone now.

Once more your hands fanned out against his ribs, but this time they moved further. Your arms weaved under his and wrapped around the front like a belt; you hugged his back tightly. Closing your eyes, you let go of a breath you didn't know you were holding and squeezed again. Who knew you just needed a good hug? 

Sans' chuckling had died down once he realized you were hugging him from behind. Looking down, he saw your forearms almost parallel to each other and felt your breath on his lower neck. Even your hug had the same strong intent. Comfort. 

… This… was probably too long of a hug. You probably wouldn't have even hugged Layla like this at all. What were you supposed to do? You stilled as you tried to think. Right, just do what you were doing before. 

You maintained the hug, but your hands suddenly spread out like claws. He must have been looking at them because he suddenly tensed. You smirked, and then attacked: your fingers scribbling on his sides while your hug was holding him in place. 

".....!!!!!"

The skeleton made a sound similar to a squeak, was silent for a few moments, then started cackling all over again. For a few moments it sounded like he was trying to talk, but his laughter wouldn't let him. His body squirmed to escape but could not and he was soon patting on your arms in defeat. You immediately let go of your tickle vice, as well as your hug, and scooted back on the couch.

Your friend almost fell over, but soon leaned back and rested on his elbows and he tried to catch his breath. His face was flushed and his smile was large; it appeared he did not mind. 

"Are you alright? Did you need some water?"

He shook his head and waved with the implication he was fine. He just couldn't talk right away. After catching his breath and letting out a few more unprompted chuckles, he looked over at your direction. Right before you had your fun, he remembered a few things he wanted to discuss with you.

"hey, uh, heh, i wanted to talk to about the night we went to grillby's." You blinked attentively in response so he continued. "so, uh, after we went back to your apartment, i remember sitting in the couch and-"

"-That's okay." you quickly interrupted. The moment he mentioned that night you felt a rush of adrenaline as though your body was telling you to run. You had hoped maybe the drinks made him forget. Your mind imagining him taking back his flirtatious comments was bad enough, you couldn't face the real thing. "I know you didn't mean anything. We're good."

He panicked. "wait, what did i say exactly?" Did he insult you??

Your anxiety doubled. How were you supposed to answer that? You'd have to regurgitate all the things he said that made your heart flutter even though he didn't mean it? And then watch his reaction as he realized he regretted saying them? "Nothing bad--it doesn't matter--we're cool and it's fine."

Your eyes shot towards the window where you saw some headlights flash and heard the familiar rumble of Papyrus' car. You quickly grabbed your bag and smiled. "I'll see you next week, yeah?" And ran out the door for your ride home. 

He lowered his hand that was initially raised to ask you to stay. The room was quiet with his thoughts. It was that whiplash all over again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your self confidence: fuck you fuck you fuck you fu


	13. Pizza and logic puzzles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans delivers some pizzas, and things get a bit dramatic. You both start to realize your perception of a particular event may be wrong.

Sans wasn't having the best day. He spilled a case of concentrated sugary soda all over the kitchen floor and had to mop it up while his co-workers tried to prep orders. He already had two customers yell at him today for reasons beyond his control. A middle schooler was trying to throw a paper straw sleeve into his eye socket for the last fifteen minutes. It's been raining during all his deliveries. And, the shop has been making a new pizza shape; pepperoni on a pizza the shape of a heart or soul. It was insulting. Still, he worked through his day with a previous conversation in his head.

~~~

"YOU SAID SOMETHING TERRIBLE TO THEM? WHAT ON EARTH DID YOU SAY?"

"i don't know. i can't even think of what i could say to offend them? it's not like i'm thinking things subconsciously that are negative about them. they wouldn't tell me. i don't understand."

"HMM. MAYBE IT WAS A CULTURAL MIX-UP? SOMETHING WE WOULD THINK IS OKAY BUT MAYBE NOT TO HUMANS. DID YOU TALK ABOUT ANY MONSTER OR HUMAN THINGS?"

"well i mean we did go to a monster bar and had monster food. and then i vaguely remember talking about souls? they said… well, we talked about their soul type. but i know i wouldn't say anything bad about theirs."

"THAT IS A CONUNDRUM. MAYBE THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENING AT GRILLBY'S?… OR I READ THAT HUMANS HAD MUCH DIFFERENT THOUGHTS ON SOULS BEFORE MONSTERS CAME TO THE SURFACE. ARE THEY ACTING ANY DIFFERENT?"

"avoidant. otherwise the same."

"AH. PERHAPS THEY HAVE OTHER THINGS GOING ON AND NEED TO WORK THEM OUT ON THEIR OWN. IT'S BEST TO WAIT UNTIL THEY ARE COMFORTABLE." 

"i guess…"

~~~

He loaded three different types of pizzas into the insulator bag. He was patient, but that doesn't mean he isn't frustrated by waiting occasionally. Like what is he waiting on exactly? For you to become more distant? It was best not to think about it. He hauled the pizza stack outside and looked at the address. Some building on campus. 

Turning the corner, he made a quick shortcut to the main campus walkway. "muller building, side door… oh." He looked up. That was the name of the theater. "wouldn't that be wild if you were there…?" He joked. He was hoping not. If you're in a weird place right now and don't want to be with him, then he shouldn't be around you. Especially if all he can do is make you feel bad without knowing. 

He knocked. The side door opened and….. it was a random freshman kid (you can tell by their eyes) staring surprised at him. Most freshmen on this campus experience their first monster interaction here. 

"uh, hey? here's the pizza you ordered." Hopefully the kid will get over the initial shock soon. This was his last delivery for the day and he was ready to go home and do nothing. 

Instead he looked more panicked. "Hhhhhh, Y/N? Did you pay online or am I supposed to give him something?" Oh good. They are like this with everyone. Also, that name was familiar. Of course.

He closed his eyes in a sigh and opened them again to see you with your regular smiling face. …. Okay. He missed you. Dang it. 

"You deliver pizzas, too?" You asked, almost rhetorically since you had told him before how this confused your roommate. You handed him a worn roll of cash, it looked like you had counted it out and held it for a while before you knew it was Sans at the door. At a quick glance he could tell it was a nice tip. You were making it hard not to appreciate you. 

"just another 'pizza' the daily grind." He held over the receipt to sign. 

Just as you were about to speak, a loud clatter on the hallow stage floor and the sound of surprised and frightened humans could be heard. 

You quickly turned your head to the stage where someone in a ridiculously large fake fur coat looked like they collapsed. It appeared like the few other people there had no idea what was going on. Shoving the pizza back into Sans' arms, you hurried over to the stage and pulled out your phone. 

"Should I call an ambulance for him??" One of the other random freshmen asked in a panic. 

You shook your head as you approached. "Not yet. Let me see, first." Kneeling down, you reached out your hand to the face of the individual who was also wearing ridiculously large sunglasses. "Hey Director, can you hear me?" A pause….And then you looked really worried. 

"Now????" The other student asked while flailing her hands in panic.

"No… uh…" you looked to your skeleton friend with a concerned face. "Sans? Can you come here? I think they might be a….." your voice caught. Oh no.

A monster? That fell down? Sans set the pizzas down and with a rush of adrenaline, headed to the stage. "turn him over, let me see-- " he stopped.

The freshmen huddled around in curiosity. Meanwhile his urgency dissipated and he almost looked annoyed. "of course."

Behind the coat and glasses was a familiar robot who ran out of batteries. 

\------

"... He would never tell me his name, and everytime I asked, he said to call him 'Director.'" 

"... yeah, that sounds like mettaton."

You paused. "The... famous rectangle monster in all those movies?" Your director was not balancing around on one wheel.

"this is his other form. takes more power. not sure why he'd be directing a college theater, though." He kicked his feet while sitting in a theater chair in the front row.. ".... so you thought he was human with the robotic voice and everything?" 

"H-hey" you realized of course NOW it seems obvious. "Electronic larynxes are a thing! I thought he maybe was a smoker…. Not to mention he's also the first robot monster I've seen, too…!" It was funny but you also felt a bit silly now that you finally had a good look at his face. 

He tilted his head. "huh, human technology is something. robot voices but no robots." He seemed to think and then looked over at you to make sure you didn't take it as though he was teasing you. "and don't feel bad, he's the only robot monster i've seen, too. i just happen to know his 'doctor'... he'll be happy to know you thought he was human."

Since 'the director' and his 'vision' were out of commission, you had given the pizza to the gaggle of unnamed freshmen and told them to go home for the rest of the day. Sans left and came back moments later with some yellow lizard monster that must have been right outside. Apparently she was his quote-unquote 'doctor' and was currently up on stage with some other equipment she just happened to be carrying around. How convenient! 

"so what's up with all the newbie humans?" He was almost getting the impression you were a babysitter with all these freshmen around with only you and Mettaton.

"They are, uh.... well, we are the only ones volunteering to help the-, Mettaton, with his choreography. " Implying no one else wanted to deal with it.

"....where's the new stage manager?" You only shrugged in response. 

Suddenly from the stage, a computer boot up noise could be heard. And then a theme song. Both the lizard monster and Sans quickly looked tired. 

Mettaton quickly sat up. "Oh! What happened??" His head shot back and forth and you finally got a good look at who your director was since his doctor (mechanic?) had to take off the coat and sunglasses. He was definitely a robot and his arms did look like Mettaton's now that you could see them. 

You noticed no one answered, so you started. "You suddenly fain-"

"I was directing my new play and suddenly everything went dark!!" He motioned dramatically.

He did not write this play. But besides that maybe he didn't notice you were answering? You started up again. "I think your bat-"

"Oh how embarrassing~!" He dramatically placed his hands over his robotic face. And then touched his face some more. "Alphys! Where are my glasses?!" He looked down. "Where is the rest of my disguise??"

You started to put two and two together. He was apparently doing this undercover. "Nobody saw!" You quickly said standing up, and surprisingly he didn't interrupt you this time. "They were all sent home before anyone got a good look." 

He stared directly at you. "Stage-hand!" And pointed in your direction. "Swear to me on your life no one else saw my beautiful face!" 

You…. Told him your name before. Quite a few times. "Uh…. No one else saw your face?" If you could give him this comfort he'd relax, right? Now that you know the real him?

"-Beautiful face. Otherwise you could be talking about any face." Your 'director' corrected.

"..... Nope. We're done." The lizard answered for you. 

He stood up and grabbed his coat and glasses. "Well then, we all have our stories ready. I dramatically fainted from heartbreak and was only awoken by a True Love's kiss. I'll text you later on who that was. Capiche?"

"nope. we're done." Sans repeated. 

"Well, stage-hand, I have heard it from you, you'll spread the word and….. NO ONE else can find out my identity. End of story~"

".... Nope, we're done." You copied with a thumbs up, not sure if he even heard what you're saying. His persona, 'the director', didn't listen either. But truthfully you probably make up some dumb lie anyway, ultimately fufilling his request. It'd be easier that way.

He winked and left. Everyone felt tired. 

"thanks al." Sans waved you over to the mechanic "y/n, this is my friend, alphys. alphys, this is y/n, of whom i know you already know plenty about."

You looked over to the lizard who looked excited. You remembered that name… "Oh! Papyrus said you're Undyne's girlfriend! It's nice to finally meet you!" You smiled, remembering hearing bits and bobs about her. Apparently she had heard the same about you. 

"S-same!" She got off the stage and wiped the oil off her claws before shaking your hand enthusiastically. "I'm sorry, but I HAVE to know, how did your date go?"

You blinked. The sharper corners of your smile faded in confusion. Your hands still in hers.

"T-the one at Grillby's…?" Her smile looked nervous and her eyes darted between your face and something behind you. 

And then your brain decided to fill out a logic puzzle no one asked for.   
Sans never said it was a date. If it was a date he would have said it was a date, right? So it's not a date.   
Things were still weird about that night and you were trying really hard not to make them weird and her asking this question is making it worse? But she doesn't have any ill intent.   
You're pretty sure Sans is right behind you hearing the same question. This makes it even more awkward and again is nullifying all your efforts to not make this awkward.   
End this quickly.

"Oh, no, that wasn't-" you shook your head and patted her hand in response. "But the food and company was great. It was a nice place to hang out." You changed the subject as much as you could without being obvious. 

"O-oh, I'll have to try...it.. sometime.. " she politely smiled but kept glancing behind you nervously. She must have been embarrassed for assuming. 

For the next few moments there was a bit of small talk, but you had to excuse yourself to work on a paper. Your mind was shuffling a few thoughts. Mostly wondering how Alphys knew about you going to Grillby's. It was probably Papyrus. You headed home after slipping on your non-slip shoe covers for the walk home 

Alphys broke the silence after your departure. "I-I'm sorry, Sans. I didn't think-"

"yeah well, neither did i, apparently." He shoved his pizza name tag into his inventory. 

"Did you want to talk-"

"i actually don't really want to talk about this anymore." He says abruptly with gutted eyes. "and while i appreciate your enthusiasm, there's nothing left to discuss so let's just drop it." His voice was casual, but Alphys could tell he was agitated. 

A pause. And his eye lights came back.

"sorry. i'm just not feeling it right now. i'm gonna head home." He rubbed his head. "later." His tone was more apologetic.

He waved while heading out with a short-cut. Alphys waved back and soon gathered her things and headed home as well, wishing she could help somehow. 

\----

And things went back to normal. Now that he knew how you felt, Sans was able to shove those feelings deep, deep down, and with time he'd get over you. It all made sense now. He didn't insult you, you just didn't approve of his advances and still wanted to be friends…. and he respected that. Meanwhile, you made it easy to get back into casual friendship by pretending that night never happened. You'd come over to study, and then the both of you would engage in some kind of funny media and talk about classes and work like good old times. He was slightly less physical. Shorter hugs and no more human play fighting. He figured this was the best case scenario after the event at the theater. 

And then about a week later, you came over a little before the next study session in a really good mood. 

He was in the living room with his feet propped on the couch, playing with that worm-on-a-string again. When you came in, with a skip in your step, you headed to the kitchen study table and set your backpack on a chair. "Hey, Sans!" You called, taking out your books but still out of sight. 

"hey. how's it going?" He called back, casually; the worm weavings between his fingers.

"Going awesome. Did you want some kisses?" 

...

And just like that, the absurdity of your question brought up a familiar curiosity. "uhhh… okay. yeah."he pocketed the worm and started to sit up. 

"Cool, what's your favorite type of chocolate?"

He blinked his weird skeleton eyes at the wall. How was that relevant? But another part of him didn't care to find out--just answer the question! 

"uh… paps once brought home some white and milk chocolate looking skulls and those were good, so…"

"Oh, okay, you might like hugs better, then." You were still digging through your bag.

"i… i can like both? i like both." Now he was standing up, wondering what kind of chocolate personality test this was for.

Just as he was about to turn into the kitchen, you met him at the door frame and grabbed his hand. And then you turned it over and poured as many chocolates that could fit. A weird drop looking candy. Some were brown striped and others had a dark purple wrapper. 

"Those are mocha twist, and that one is cherry cordial." You explained in an excited voice, pointing them out. "It's the day after Valentine's and all the chocolate was on sale." 

He looked up and saw multiple bags on the table covered in a few familiar words. Words like 'hugs' and 'kisses'. 

"thanks." He stared at his hands and slowly walked back to the couch. Some of your other classmates arrived and you let them know you got plenty of chocolate for the study session. 

He sat down back on the couch and set the candies next to him. He heard more of your peers arriving, but had a hard time focusing. He unwrapped a 'hug' and ate it. It sounded like his brother was getting things ready. He unwrapped a 'kiss' and ate it. Human food was something. 

….

You know what? He can't do this. 

Grabbing his phone, he turned towards his brother and you at the table. "got called in; see you later." And quickly left through the front door. His next location unknown to the both of you. 

\---

You and Papyrus seemed a little bummed that Sans left, but work happens sometimes. Instead of thinking of how you were going to hang out with him later, you eavesdropped on whatever your classmates were talking about with Papyrus before they went out to play sports. 

"Can skeletons even give kisses?" Efrain asked while unwrapping a candy. Lucky for him, Papyrus was one of the few monsters who hasn't gotten sick of answering all these questions from curious humans. It was a good trait to have for an ambassador mascot.

"OF COURSE! NOT IN THE TRADITIONAL SENSE, THOUGH." he picked up a wrapped candy and held it in between his fingers. "WE DO NOT HAVE LIPS, AND CANNOT 'KISS' LIKE HUMANS DO….. WELL, WE CAN, BUT IT'S JUST OUR TEETH SO TAKE THAT AS YOU WILL." he pressed the candy to the center of his teeth. It did look a little silly. You glanced back down at your paper, trying not to look like you're actively listening. You were curious too, but figured it was too weird to ask the brothers yourself. 

"INSTEAD WE… I BELIEVE A SIMILAR TERM IS CALLED 'NUZZLE'? IT IS MORE AFFECTIONATE THEN A TOOTH-TAP." he rubbed the wrapped candy along both sides of his 'cheeks'. 

"So like those european greeting kisses?" Tyrell asked, folding the foil wrapper into a tiny crane. 

"SORT OF. THOSE ARE SHORT. SKELETON KISSES ARE MUCH LONGER AND LINGER LIKE A HUG." he fanned his hand out across his chest. "THEY SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY A VERBAL 'SMOOCH'. I ADDED THAT FOR CLARITY."

Your peer grinned. "So how do you make out?"

The skeleton's face finally looked annoyed. "YOU ARE TESTING MY PATIENCE, TYRELL."

"Well I mean, we are at a study group, where else would I?" 

"NYEHHHHHHH…!!! TYRELL, YOU HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO BE THE GOALIE OF THE OPPOSING TEAM FOR ME. LET'S GO." 

He laughed and headed out the door, grabbing a hockey stick. Slowly, everyone else but you shuffled outside. You were busy working on another logic puzzle.

So. He didn't almost kiss you. He kind of actually did. Okay.   
Alphys said it was a date but Sans never did.  
But Sans isn't the type to say 'smooch', so would he really be the type to say 'date'? He had a hard enough time saying the word 'tickle'.  
Why would he want to even date you?  
Your terrible brain chimed in  
IF that was a kiss, and IF that was a date…. And you proceeded to think HE was embarrassed about it so YOU pretended it never happened…. 

Oh. No. Oh no.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alphys: crying cat meme
> 
> Sans: I can't fucking take this anymore I am at my limit hamster meme
> 
> You: confused math meme lady
> 
> Papyrus: there is no meme I will kick tyrell's ass


	14. Anime is real

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Layla is popular and Sans is a weeb. More processing is required.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, this arc was supposed to be like two chapters. I'm hoping the next chapter is fluffier. That's my goal. Also if you're trying to quit smoking maybe don't read the first half of this.

You didn't get much studying done after that. Sans never returned, so you had no reason to hang out later. You turned down Papyrus' offer to drive you home, thinking the walk home would help clear your mind. It didn't. 

Opening the door, you saw your roommate chilling on the couch with a book even though a movie was playing in the background. She looked up and waved, a chewed up plastic straw in her mouth implying she hadn't smoked in a while. "You're home early." 

Your held in emotions suddenly spilled out in the presence of your best friend. "I think I fucked up." You spoke, your voice cracking. You slipped off your backpack but still hugged your coat tightly. 

Layla sat up and turned off the TV. She then got up, closed her book, and put the straw into a nearby empty cup. Walking past you to the door frame, she grabbed her coat and shoved her boots on. "Come on, talk with me." She invited you back outside. You followed, and instinctively stood upwind. 

"So." She reached into her pocket and pulled out an open box of menthols. "Why do you think you fucked up?"

You opened your mouth and closed it, not sure of how to start. She began smacking the box against her other hand, waiting for your response. "I think… Sans liked me."

She stopped and stared at you. "No…!" It was so heavily laced with sarcasm that even you could tell. 

You shot her a look, but your anxiety was too high to protest. "But I think I also may have accidentally shot him down and I'm only realizing this now." 

Her eyebrows raised as she took out a smoke and held it with the side of her lips as she put the box back in her coat. "No shit? What happened?" She was now genuinely interested.

"Well, at first he said we'd go to his favorite restaurant if I didn't get the stage manager position-"

"You mean the one they already decided on before you applied?" She asked suspiciously as she lit the cigarette. 

"Y-yeah…" you answered, now realizing how that sounded. "But, uhm, anyway, so I found out about two weeks ago, and we went there when you were out that Friday, and we went to Grillby's, that place down the hill?-" 

She held the cigarette in-between her fingers as she exhaled. "I didn't even leave until seven, you had a late dinner?" She brought it back to her mouth.

"Well it was also a bar, so we had monster food and a couple rounds of drinks. Also monster." You rubbed at your nose as it was a little cold. 

"So it was a date." She exhaled again. 

"Well! No, but, maybe? I'm not sure? He never said it was-"

"Well he was at the apartment when I got home. Did you guys kiss?" She raised a brow and you looked nervous. Incredibly nervous.

"So!" You explained "Haha, funny story, yes, but! I didn't know? And he was also, like, drunk, so it doesn't mean anything-" you held your hands out in anxiety-laced explanation as though you couldn't hold all this information.

"Okay, stop. That's a lot to unpack. How do you not know you were kissed? I thought you had at least one kiss before him. Did you realize you were doing it wrong?" She flicked the ash off the cigarette in concern. You then explained how skeleton smooches worked and how you only just found that out. 

She nodded her head. "Okay, so the other thing, you said he was drunk when he kissed you?" You nodded your head in agreement. "You know alcohol is a depressant, right? It lowers your inhibitions. It doesn't make you do things you don't want to do. It just makes you more likely to do things you want to do without all the social song and dance. So unless you were forcing him, he probably wanted to smooch you before." She took another drag and coughed.

You narrowed your eyes at her suggestion. Sounds fake. "I can't imagine why. Maybe he thought I was someone else."

"Who else?" She quickly countered. 

Damn her logic. "I dunno… someone who has their shit together, better?"

"Do you see him hugging or smooching or even talking about anyone else?" 

"Well, I don't, no-" 

"Because when you didn't come home that night like a month ago, Papyrus sent me a photo of what looked like you sleeping on top of a pile of bones and I can only assume that's what happened again during that snow storm-"

"Yeah, but-"

"So." She interrupted, counting on her fingers. "You went out at night to his favorite restaurant because he invited you, and you had food and drinks, then you invited him here after the dinner, and he kissed you…. And you're not sure if it was a date??"

Your mouth twitched, unsure of how to answer. "Well when you say it like THAT, then I really messed up!" You drag your hand over your cold face as your eyes dart around. 

".... How did you mess up?" 

For the next couple minutes you explained how you've been acting the last two weeks. How essentially you had a date only for him to wake up and have your relationship take five steps back because of your faulty self confidence and inability to read a situation. The February air nipping at your cheeks.

"Damn." She threw her smoke to the ground and crushed it with her boot. 

You sniffed. "Yeah now I don't know what to do. Everything I already did has already had a significant impact."

"You know, you could, and hear me out….. talk to him about it." She coughed and motioned to head inside. "Come on, let's make dinner."

Well, that would just make sense.

\---

Where did Sans go last night? Your guess is as good as his. But it may have been all over. It may have involved walking into Grillby's only to walk back out. It may have been to a roof top to stare endlessly into space and contemplate life choices. He could have gone into a gas station to get some other comfort food and drink only to flip off a display of poorly named Valentine candies. 

But he knew better than to stress out his brother, and returned to the house once everyone was gone where he holed himself off in his room and called it a night. 

It was the next day, where the house was so quiet he could scream that he became restless again. His brother was already back at school for the day and wouldn't return until 3pm. Sleeping it off didn't work and it was almost noon. This sucked. He needed… inspiration.

\---

Alphys' head suddenly perked up from her clipboard. She was in her above ground lab, and she definitely just heard someone upstairs in her room/office. They were sifting around in her books. And she knows she didn't see anyone go up the escalator. 

She set down her data and headed upstairs. Just double checking who it was, otherwise she'd be worried. Well, upon seeing him, the worry didn't really go away. "Sans…? What are you doing?"

He was frantically searching through her human historical records. Which they both knew was actually manga. He'd pull out a book, read a summary, and toss it on the cube that was her bed. "come on… there's gotta be somethin'..."

Clearly, he didn't hear her. "Sans… n-normally I don't mind if we have an otakufest splurge, but I didn't even know you were coming over-"

His skull perked up and he finally noticed his friend in her lab coat. "alphys! perfect. hey, so i'm looking for a story, but i don't think it's in a book. maybe one of your online stories?" He looked down at the book in his hands, quickly skimmed the summary and huffed, tossing the book behind him. 

"Uh…" she tapped her claws nervously against her hands. This was a tempting discussion. 

He was on a mission. "okay, so, i know i've seen this story like a million times. protagonist finally asks someone out and gets shot down. i'm looking for the next step, the what happens after...." He reached out into the bookcase again.

Immediately, at least ten different fanfictions came to mind, but that's not what Alphys needed to focus on. "I can recommend a bunch of stories like that? But I don't think it's going to…. give you the answer you're looking for…." Hey voice hesitant. Not unless Sans was planning to rent a room at a hotel and they only had one bed.

He stopped rifling through the graphic novels and became quiet. That wasn't the answer he wanted. But he also knew there was no better answer. Maybe he just wanted an afternoon of denial in shitty fanfiction. 

"... I'm sorry.." she didn't know how to phrase this. "If you want, we can binge watch some MMKC later this afternoon. I just have some-" 

"-yeah, yeah, i understand…" he didn't mean to drop by unannounced. "i guess i just… needed to talk to someone. i don't know what else to do, honestly." His voice quieted. 

"Oh Sans…" her voice hushed as well and the room went eerily quiet.

He sighed. "it feels like i need some sort of closure? but they already made it clear by pretending it never happened, so i can't figure out what to do next." He rubbed his arms, not sure what to expect from his friend. All he knew was that he had helped her during a difficult time and maybe she could just be a soundboard for him. 

"Have you tried fucking talking to them!?" A male voice shouted from below. A few giggles followed.

Sans quickly rushed to the ledge and looked at the lab below. There were about five students in lab coats. Probably at one point they were all huddled around that whirring machine on the table, but now at least two of them seemed interested in the conversation upstairs. Maybe because it interrupted their class. His soul sank.

"H-hey now! If you're going to be rude, you can leave! This is my lab and my house!" The lizard monster yelled over the banister. 

"...Sorry bro!" The same voice yelled. The students then turned back to the machine. 

"Undergrads…" Alphys muttered under her breath. "Sorry Sans, this test is almost over. Just give me five minutes and I can hook you up with something." And she headed back downstairs.

Already thoroughly embarrassed, he didn't have anywhere else to go or feel better, so he stayed put. Maybe he should put back a few of the books.

The students gathered around Alphys as she explained the results. Something about magic identifiers to figure out sources of magic attacks or monster essence. Some monster version of crime scene investigation. It was a fairly new topic, which is why there were only a few students visiting. Sans watched over the ledge in boredom, but also to distract his mind. And maybe to glare at the louder Broseph.

Once it looked like the session was over, the students began taking off their lab coats and goggles, a few of them even letting down their hair or reapplying jewelry. Suddenly, one of the students caught his eye. 

The individual tried to keep her head low and grabbed her bags. Unfortunately for her, the other students were faster, she almost made it out the door before-

"hey wait!"

She froze, her black curls halting abruptly. This is not how Layla wanted to spend her day. Sighing, she turned around to face the skeleton who came downstairs to have a talk.

She held out her hand like a stop sign. "Unless you're going to ask me questions about the class we just had, I'm heading out."

Fuck. Well that was a waste. But he's already embarrassed and called her out. Need to think of something. "uh, yeah." He scratched his skull. "magic identifiers, huh? this supposed to help identify monsters who use magic on something?" A valid question. It's good to know if the police force is looking into monster magic paranoia. 

She shrugged. "Honestly, it's more likely to help identify the dust of monsters who go missing on the surface." 

His smile dropped. "That's… morbid."

She shrugged again. "Humans are terrible! Science at least provides closure." Alphys also shrugged. She normally doesn't teach classes, but this was for a good cause.

He nodded his head solemnly and then jumped for a chance to ask his original question "actually… speaking of-"

She interrupted him. "-Listen dude, I don't mind helping out my best friend, but if I gotta hold your hand during all this, this isn't a good match." Her stern look didn't faulter. 

They stared at each other in uncomfortable silence. A computer could be heard compiling information on a hard drive. A cooling fan was whirring. Alphys wished she had popcorn.

If he had a throat, he'd swallow an uncomfortable lump. "i do want to talk to them about it. and hear from them. i'm just having trouble getting the conversation started." She was listening, but not responding. "sometimes it feels like… they don't listen to me when i try to talk about it…" he was trying his best to choose his words carefully. 

She looked away, but you could tell she was debating herself on the inside. She was sympathetic to the effects of your unintentional dumbassary. Her arms crossed and her foot tapped in thought. "....yeeeaahhhhh….." her foot tapped faster. 

"do you know how i can get them to believe me?" He needed something. Anything.

She snorted. "Yeah, turn back time." In a quiet mumbled, but then screwed her eyes shut at opening her mouth.

"wait" he panicked. "was this something i did??" 

She stopped her nervous ticks. "Shit.... No." A sigh. She licked her lips in thought and then quietly, but aggressively hissed at him. "Okay if you tell anyone what I'm about to say I will make sure you're never allowed on campus again, because you won't have any legs to get there." 

Oh boy. Threats again. Alphys pretended to not listen by stuffing her nose into a nearby text book. She was absolutely listening. He gave a small nod of agreement. 

Layla's face became more sympathetic. "Okay. You know how easy it is to get Y/N to answer rhetorical questions, or jump into explanations?" He blinked his weird skeleton eyes, and again nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, well, the topics that you want to address have already been asked by lots of other people who just wanted to see what Y/N would answer. They are sick of answering to someone just looking for a new reaction and probably just stopped listening." 

He was confused. A vague memory of his first interaction with Layla came to mind. That first threat.

And then it started to hit him. That can't be right. "wait, we're talking about things like flirting and dating, right?" He had to clarify, he didn't know if he'd get a chance to talk to Layla like this again. "someone actually did that just to see what…"

She shook her head "No, not someone" and for a split second he was relieved. "Multiple someones over a long period of time." She responded as he froze. 

"...w-"

"Yeah!" A sharp but bitter laugh. "Like I said, humans are terrible! And now I hope I can have your permission to leave now?" She had an irritated smile. That information wasn't hers to share but she also knew you never would. She also had a good feeling Papyrus would help kick Sans ass if he told anyone else. 

"y-yeah, thanks." He was thinking. Layla gave a quick wave and headed out, leaving the quiet lab. 

...

"W-well that's good news!" Spoke the lizard monster, breaking the silence. "I mean, the history is terrible, but it sounds like they didn't reject you! You can't reject what you don't... acknowledge… heh...eheh" 

He stood silent, thinking over his options. This was all a big mess and a lot to process. "... did you still want to watch anime…?"

"Oh my God -yes- this is so awkward." Alphys quickly hurried to the bookcase and pulled out four DVDs with a pastel cover. "Okay, the 2001 Furuba, about 12 hours if we speed run it. Subs only. Sound good?" 

".... yeah, let's do this."


	15. A Book by Its Cover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter where they finally talk to each other.

You didn't like how you felt alone with this uncertainty and tried to make yourself as busy as possible. If Layla was home, you were inseparable. If she was out, you'd be deep into homework or labs or trying to study. Sometimes you'd stay later at theater practice. You even ran a bunch of dumb errands for Mettaton. "Go to the river side and get a feel of the environment. Describe it to the actors. No, you can't describe a past experience, you need to call us from there.". Other times you'd pick up a bunch of sweets from the store to give to him for his 'tragically low blood sugar', which was the excuse you ended up giving for his fainting episode. You should have figured he would milk it for attention. At least you got to sometimes eat the leftover candy after everyone left. 

Sans on the other hand was two anime series, three manga volumes, and five fanfictions into his desired distraction. It wasn't too much of a problem other than a few times where he accidently repeated some random Japanese phrase in response to a question his brother asked him. That and he couldn't get a bunch of theme songs out of his head. It did mess up his sleeping schedule, though. 

You actually missed each other at the next study session. You had arrived and noticed Sans was nowhere to be found. Your dumb brain assumed he didn't want to be with you. When his brother mentioned he was sleeping, the voice in your head said it was an excuse. It wasn't until you got home that your mind would change.

Sahahans: hey sorry i missed u, i passed out after a 38 hour movie bender.

You smirked. Ever since you discovered Mettaton's identity, he honestly used you as a soundboard to gossip about everyone he knows, including Alphys and her anime collection. And how she was recently in a binge again with a friend. It suddenly made sense.

Y/N: That's alright. I've done the same with a few anime movies before. Not that long, maybe only 12 hours.

Sahahans: o yeah? which 1s?

You texted him back for a while and it was comfortable. Nobody would probably peg either of you to be into anime. You probably gave off a vibe of classical literature or news articles, and Sans of background noise and comedy specials. He did like those too, but he also appreciated the occasional angst and slow burn. At least through text, things seemed good. 

\-----

The next study session was a little more hardcore with material. Midterms were up again and a few of your classes were going to have some large exams. The group was buzzing with activity and the break was shorter than anticipated so you only watched some crazy March Madness commerical with Sans before you headed back to studying. It wasn't until everyone headed home by their own car or with Papyrus, that you really had a chance to relax with your friend. 

As the house became silent, Sans walked into the kitchen and saw you packing up your books slowly; you yawned. He waved, and you waved back, covering your mouth with the back of your hand. 

"hey" he greeted again, leaning against the table. You were getting along with texts but he hasn't had a chance to feel you out in person. 

"Hey" you stretched stiffly and rubbed at your cheek bones; you tended to clench your teeth when stressed. 

"how are you doin'?" He asked cautiously.

"Good…. Tired." You stretched your arms.

"tired? or tired and?" The last time he caught you tired at the table, you were actually upset. It was also a theater joke.

"Just tired." You reassured. "The play is coming up and Mettaton wants it 'just right'. I'm probably putting more effort into it than I should."

He nodded his head, knowing exactly what you meant. You stretched again and he was probably staring a little more than respectfully. An idea hit him.

"did you want me to try?"

You blinked. "Working with the play…?" That did not sound like something he'd want to do. Also you wouldn't subject that to him, not even your enemies.

"wha- no. a massage thing. you said humans tend to have a massage to feel better. i could give it a try." He offered, not only to help you out but to also gauge what you're currently comfortable with. 

For a moment you eyed him suspiciously, the last massage session didn't end the way it started. But he looked like that was all he was suggesting, seemingly aware of your concerns. And honestly? His cautious but helpful approach was a huge relief. A part of you thought he'd be mad at you for everything you have put him through. It was nice having him address the boundries you accidently put back up, meaning he wanted to.

"...Yeah, that'd be nice." You gave a soft smile and went to the living room where you set up the pillows on the floor like before. The local channel filled with advertisements was on mute on the nearby TV.

He followed behind, a huge sense of relief that you didn't make excuses and were actually willing just to be close to him again. Both of you sitting down, his face dusted as you sat closely between his legs, trusting him in a vulnerable position. 

No, no, he can do this, it's just a massage. Even though he's never given one, he remembered what it felt like when you gave one, and some of those mangas had a few drawings of them. He could figure it out. And he placed his hands on your back again, the warmth returning to his soul. 

He moved his hands out sightly. He… missed how soft you were. Even here, where he could feel your bones, you were so soft?? His hands moved across your back, half in his attempt of a massage, the other half just honestly in awe of what a back feels like for longer than a hug. It was like a soft, smooth blanket over what is usually a bunch of bumpy bones. As long as he moved both his hands around, it's a massage, right? 

After a few minutes, you opened your eyes and pursed your lips together. He was…. really bad at this. It just felt like he was dragging his hands around, but there was very little pressure. Sometimes it just felt like he was just tracing his hands with no reasoning behind it. But you couldn't complain too much. Even though you could not sense intent like he could, you could still tell he was trying. A skeleton probably wouldn't have a lot of history on massages, lacking muscle and everything. Maybe you could give a suggestion? 

"You can press a little harder on the upper back, those are usually my worse spots." 

Sans snapped out of his exploration. Right. He was giving you a massage. He moved his hands back up around your shoulder blades. Thinking back to reality, he pressed his thumbs down firmer in this area, much like you did before. In response, you tensed, and then relaxed as he dragged his thumbs slowly up from that spot. "like that?"

"Yeah, that's nice." You closed your eyes again and your shoulders dropped slightly as a signal you were relaxing. 

Feeling more confident, he continued that level of pressure along your back. Up and down, left and right… he wasn't sure what else to do. He drew a circle. And then an x. Oh, that's an idea.

Sans still wasn't a professional at this. Sometimes it felt good, other times it just felt like he was drawing. You didn't mind much until you started noticing a pattern. After a week of intense hangout with Layla, a joke suddenly came to mind.

"Are you playing the alphabet game?" You asked with a dumb smile. But before he could answer, you already started holding in a laugh at the joke. You bet Layla would be laughing. 

Most people would think you wouldn't like crude jokes, but you didn't mind them if you were comfortable with the audience. You didn't often crack dirty jokes, but you could appreciate them if they were well timed. Same with bad language, you could curse, you just didn't often.

"what's the alphabet game?"

Oh no. You wheezed. Holding your hands over your mouth, you shook sightly.You weren't laughing at him, you swear! You were just so stressed and thinking about how you may have hurt him, and then midterms, and then the weirdness of theater practice right now…. That once your brain latched on just a little bit of serotonin of the joke it wasn't going to let go. And now the image of you having to explain the joke was just so embarrassing but also….

He smiled but was confused. "wait, what are you laughing about?" 

Oh noo. You shook harder but evolved to silent laughter. 

Something was making you happy. Even though he didn't understand it, you were clearly amused by something and it looked like you hadn't been in a while. "come on, tell me, i wanna know." He grinned, amused by your laughter.

Oh nooooo. A snicker leaked out and you couldn't stop giggling. Any attempt to explain would be stopped by laughter.

By this point he figured out that him asking what the joke was, was the reason you couldn't answer. "i guess i'll never know, huh?" He smirked. Maybe he'll find out later. Probably a surface joke. 

You took a breath and shook your head amid the poor attempt to cover your laughter. "Sorry….. Sorry…. I don't know what came over me, snk" another breath. 

"okay, human tax, then." 

You flinched slightly, but realized he was just giving you a hug from behind. His arms were a little lower than yours, and the hug was looser so he grabbed at his own wrists. His body temperature started to mimic yours and it was honestly super comfortable. You…. missed this. 

"is this okay?" He asked, still trying to figure out your limits. 

"Yeah… this is nice…." You were sure laying your hands over his was probably too forward, so you just leaned back slightly; your brain giving you conflicting feelings and desires. 

You stayed there for a little, until you were fully calmed down; the commercials flashing on the TV in front of you as a distraction. He tested the water again. 

"can i ask about the night at grilbs?" He asked as his skull rested slightly next to the back of your head. 

There was a pause, but you answered. "Yeah." 

"...were you uncomfortable with anything that happened that night?" He had been thinking about this for a while and made sure to choose his questions carefully. There was a lull before you responded.

"..." You found it difficult to talk suddenly, so you shook your head. After a moment your voice returned. "No."

That was a relief. You were the type to occasionally underplay your response, but that was a fairly solid answer. Not to mention having it in duplicate helped. 

You took a breath, as if to speak, but then stopped. He waited. You tried again. "Was….." another long pause. "Was that a…?" You tried to finish the sentence, but the weight of it wouldn't let you. 'A date'. Luckily he seemed to know what you were asking.

"it didn't have an assigned title." He explained. "but it coulda been called that. paps did." He left it up to your interpretation so you didn't feel obligated to have a particular response.

Of course Papyrus did. You didn't seem to take his reply negatively, so that was probably a win. Now for the harder stuff.

"is it… alright if i say something else while i've got you here?" 

You felt a slight tightness in your chest, but you did want to listen. "...Yeah." you swallowed. 

Here we go.

"i ...like being with you. a lot. ... makes me happy when you come over." He took an unnecessary breath since he was a skeleton, but he was nervous. "...i like you. as more than just a friend... if that's okay." He hoped that was enough. 

It was. But unfortunately your body seemed to have a programmed response. Your mind stalled. Your heart was beating faster, but that was because of the adrenaline coursing through your veins. Not only could you not think of a verbal response, but you probably couldn't even say it if you wanted to. You couldn't respond and he was going to hate you. You were ruining everything. 

He had held his breath, but he also remembered this was a possibility. The information Layla had given him helped him understand this wasn't you nessecarily rejecting him. He gave a squeeze in his casual hug and added: "you don't have to back. or if you don't know, that's okay too." He loosened his hug slightly and relaxed. "and if it's okay with you, i'll just keep liking you like this. i'm not expecting anything if that's okay." 

That… was such a huge relief for you. You find yourself shakily letting go of a breath you didn't know you were holding. Nodding your head in agreement, you brought your hands up to your eyes and rubbed them slightly, removing a few tears you didn't even know had built up. 

He pulled his head back and looked over your shoulder slightly. "are those bad ones or ones like at grillby's?" He hadn't seen you cry out of sadness before, so he wasn't sure if the two fluid leaking emotions looked the same or not. He was a skeleton held together with magic, not strange fluids. 

You gave a small, wet chuckle. "... Grillby's." And rubbed your eyes for a final time. You were happy. He didn't hate you, in fact he liked you, even though you couldn't say it back. 

"okay." His voice sounded happy. He let go of his hug and squeezed your shoulders slightly; surprisingly it was the closest he got to giving a real massage. 

The both of you got up and he offered to make you some tea his brother had that was supposedly calming. It was yellow-golden. At the table you exchanged small talk for a while. The weather, upcoming holidays, what your midterm schedule was like. Soon enough, Papyrus came home. They actually needed to go grocery shopping after this, so you both were sitting in the back seat on the way to your house. 

The ride back was mostly quiet, as Papyrus discussed what items were needed at the store or where he thought he could buy them. You had set your backpack between your legs and noticed Sans' hand on the seat in-between you both. After starting for about a minute, you set your hand next to his, with your pinky ever so slightly overlapping his. 

Sans looked down at the contract, then back up at you and smiled - and you gave a quick smile in agreement. Looking back, you both turned to focus on the road ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please use urban dictionary if you don't know that game. 😬
> 
> The end of chapter almost makes it sound like it's over but --- I like it too much to end it so....


	16. Tests and Timelords

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's midterm time again and a bunch of bastards came in like assholes. You scream at physics and put some backbone into it.

After that, Sans really became invested in hanging out with his brother. Who also happened to be where you were half the time since you shared the same major. And you happened to be invited to more errands Papyrus was running since he had a car and all, and could drive you home later. And it just so happens in that car ride his hand would rest in the seat and your fingers would overlap his ever so slightly. And maybe he was just looking for every excuse to do that, was that so wrong?

You didn't seem to mind, and as Papyrus drove you both to school, you were feeling pretty ready for your last midterm. That morning you were persuaded to get some last minute studying in by the great Papyrus himself at his house. After all, you thought you did pretty well in the classes you shared together with their midterms and papers, it would make sense to get another quick study session in! 

Sans mentioned how he would man the coffee shop in the nearby library for someone's lunch break while you and his brother took your midterm. It all went pretty upbeat and chummy until he saw the plaza outside your class building. 

You sighed. "Did you want to head to the library now and we'll catch up with you later?" 

He stared at you like you grew another head. In the plaza outside the building you and your brother were going in, was a small mob of humans with picket signs saying some not-so-nice things about monsters. He never saw the protesters up close before. On campus jobs were few and he honestly only showed up to work when someone cancelled last minute (or he requested a shift). His brother was around this mess?? He thought it was only like one or two people.

You must have noticed the look of disgust on his face. "The protesters get bigger around midterms and finals. I think they try to intimidate monsters so they don't take their tests and fail. It's usually only a few people." His stare moved to you. " … Don't worry, those people in the blue caps are campus security, so the protestors are kept at bay…." You hesitated. "But it's still smart to travel in groups around them."

This was not reassuring??? 

"OH, Y/N. AT THE SMITH GYM ENTRANCE." Papyrus motioned towards a monster in the middle of the plaza who looked like they may retreat. At the gym entrance, however, was a bunch of human freshmen watching. You see now. Normally Papyrus, as the ambassador-mascot, would jump in and help the monster out. But there were literal students there and they needed to learn a lesson only a human could show them. 

Much to Sans' dismay, you headed out towards the monster with the friendliest face you could muster. His younger brother reassured him that you were safe with security and him there, and all he could do was sweat as he watched you talk with the rabbit monster as though the protesters weren't even there. At one point, you looked up and made direct eye contact with the freshmen, nodded your head at them, then led the rabbit into the building where your midterm would take place. 

"BROTHER. I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE THINKING BUT WE ARE BOTH FINE! THE GROUP IS SMALL ENOUGH THAT THE BEST THING TO DO WOULD BE TO IGNORE THEM UNTIL THEY GET BORED AND FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO BE ANGRY AT." Papyrus adjusted his backpack. "WE'LL WALK TOGETHER TO YOUR COFFEE STATION AFTER THE MIDTERM, SO HURRY UP AND GET TO WORK!" he 'nyed' into the building with a wave. 

Sans continued to stand outside for a little longer, watching the protesting group. The campus security appeared bored, as though they have been doing this for a while with no negative results, otherwise they'd be on higher alert. He decided to trust what you both said and reluctantly headed to his job. 

\---

Sans has never made so many drinks with additional shots of espresso before. One student had a drink with just five shots, vanilla, and a splash of soy milk. He then downed it all on the spot and said something about an economics final. College students were very dramatic. Speaking of which…

From the left hallway, he saw his brother and you approaching and you both looked to be in a good mood. "did you ace your midterm?"

"BUT OF COURSE!"   
"I at least passed it!"

"nice. home then for the party?" 

Papyrus nodded his head in agreement, but your head shook. "I gotta drop off a paper for my film class. Then I can walk over for the celebration."

The older skeleton did the math in his head. For Papyrus to go back to his car from this location, he'd be pretty safe. "i'll walk with you. that way paps can vacuum without having to move me." It's true. You have seen the taller brother vacuum a circle around Sans before. 

Seeing as a plan was set, everyone agreed and headed their own ways. You walked with Sans outside the north wing door and headed towards the music building where your film class was held. "does your teacher not believe in emails?" He asked, wondering why you were hand delivering a paper in this day and age. 

"Too many students claimed they sent it by email and it got lost, so they were essentially getting an unapproved extension." You shrugged. "So now the professor only accepts paper documents." 

You walked along the alternating asphalt and concrete paths in-between the campus buildings. The ground was wet from rainfall and the trees had developing buds, suggesting the birth of spring to soon arrive. You both walked side by side and your pinkies would purposefully collide, connect, and break away as you sauntered to the building in a silly fashion together.

Entering the building, the bland grey soundproof walls, wooden stage, and auditorium chairs provided a generic classroom vibe. Your professor was playing on his phone near the stage next to a folding table. Your skeleton friend glanced around as you set your paper on the table and engaged in small talk. Something about the upcoming films and also the upcoming play you're helping produce. An undisclosed amount of time passed.

\---

Eventually you and Sans left the building and began to walk to the campus border. He began to bump the side of his hand into yours again, but you seemed to be thinking about something and must not have noticed. 

"hey, so i was thinking before the party tonight we could-" 

"--Not right now." You interrupted, quietly. "Just keep walking."

For a brief moment, he thought he upset you, but then noticed your body language. You had one hand over the phone in your pocket and the other was out holding your house keys. You held your head forward but kept glancing behind with your eyes. 

He glanced around you and noticed the path behind you was empty with the exception of a guy in a brown coat and face hidden in a cap of the school's colors. He was definitely walking in the same direction as you, but instead of being bored on his phone like most students, he suspiciously kept his distance. 

What the fuck. "where is the campus security you were talking about??" He hissed, clearly not impressed with the college he trusted his brother was safe at. 

"Probably still with the protestors… I'm not sure what this guy's deal is…" but the fact he was following two of you, a monster and a human, is probably not a good sign. You didn't look very intimidating and honestly neither did Sans. Papyrus was both tall and athletic while Sans was neither and you weren't at least one of those. 

You could hear the suspect's footsteps get slightly faster. Your eyes darted to the populated plaza which was still quite a distance away. Quickly, you grabbed your friend's wrist and started running. 

"Shit, go go go go go-" you heard the other set of footsteps get faster as well. You weren't going to be fast enough to reach the plaza. You called out loudly in hopes to gain someone's attention. 

What the fuck????????? Sans tried to keep up with you as he suddenly realized just what was going on. The panic in your voice, the sound of someone behind the both of you and their not so friendly intent… and it looked like you were trying to reach the plaza but that was still a way off. Neither of you would make it like this. Quickly twisting his wrist, he grabbed yours and pulled. 

\---

The ground was different. The sky was different. The air was different. You felt a student ache behind your eyes and nausea in your chest. You were at the skeleton brother's house? You felt a grip loosen on your wrist and you pulled your hand to your mouth. You were just at school and now you could see Papyrus walking down the stairs, looking concerned. What happened? Did you black out? Did you hallucinate? Something was wrong as your body reacted as though you were poisoned. 

Falling vertically, you sat on the floor. You weren't going to blow chunks just yet but you certainly couldn't run a marathon. The next couple minutes was a fight for clarification.

"What just happened…?"

"WHAT'S GOING ON? WHAT'S WRONG WITH Y/N? I WASN'T EXPECTING EITHER OF YOU HOME SO SOON." 

"someone tried to jump us at the school. we took a shortcut before they could try anything."

"No, I mean what happened a minute ago? I don't remember waking here."

"ON CAMPUS?? JUST NOW? ARE YOU OKAY?" 

"we're fine. got out in time. should let the monsters on campus know since he's still there . and we took a shortcut."

"...Shortcuts don't work like that…???"

WHAT DID THEY LOOK LIKE? " 

"brown canvas coat and university cap. black shoes and green cargo/camo pants.-- my shortcuts work like that, yeah."

"...Your shortcuts break PHYSICS?"

"WHERE DID YOU SHORTCUT FROM? WHAT WAS THE BUILDING NEARBY?"

"not sure. we were next to a statue that looked like a stack of books. and yeah, that's a way of putting it. kinda like teleportation?"

"... You can…. Teleport."

"OKAY. I'M CALLING SECURITY." Papyrus put his phone to his skull and left the room. 

As his brother left the room, Sans waved his hand in a so-so motion. "not really? it's more like my magic can fudge the numbers on how long an action takes." 

You didn't look reassured. "You can manipulate TIME."

His hand waved again. "ehhhhhh, sometimes. somethings." 

Your eyes widened in thought. "Can ALL monsters just ignore physics??" 

"as far as i know, just me and paps." He shrugged and tried to read you. You seemed… off.

"Hhhhhhhhhh…." Your hands moved to your temples in thought. 

"you… doin' alright?" 

"HHHHHHHHHHHH" you shrunk down a little as you processed (or at least failed to). Y.N.exe stopped working.

Papyrus walked back in the room, pocketing his phone. "GOOD NEWS, THEY-.…" he stopped and glanced between the two of you. "OH MY GOD, SANS! WAS THIS Y/N'S FIRST SHORTCUT? DID YOU EVEN WARN THEM?"

He looked uneasy. "well i really didn't have time to explain-"

"BROTHER, DON'T YOU REMEMBER THE MAYOR INCIDENT? HUMANS CAN'T PROCESS MAGIC RELATION TO RELATIVE MOTION WITHOUT WARNING! THEY HAVEN'T HAD MAGIC EXPOSURE IN CENTURIES!" 

"... whooops…." He forgot. Frisk could handle his shortcuts, but Frisk also broke a lot of rules. "sorry. let me help…"

\---

He had slowly lifted you up and brought you to the kitchen table. His brother was already preparing some chamomile tea to help calm you down, and still finding time to lecture him on surface magic protocol. After a while you calmed down and accepted the answer of 'magic' at least for another day. Your mind was burnt out, especially after midterms and almost getting jumped. 

A part of your mind felt too stressed for the party later. A voice in your head suggested that alcohol would fix that, but a louder voice reminded you that was an unhealthy way to cope. You sighed. 

"you feelin' okay there?" Sans asked, collecting the tea mugs just to place them in the sink where his brother would least expect them. Papyrus had already left to collect your peers from their 306 midterm, which you already took last semester. 

"Just restless" you huffed. "I guess anxious... I want to focus on something that isn't a test or the fact that you and your brother are skeletal time lords."

He chuckled. At least you were trying to joke and get back to some sense of normalcy. Well, the most you can in a world with two magical skeletons.

"well now that your studies are over, why not continue our own lessons?" He gave a lazy grin. This may have been what he was trying to suggest earlier. 

You raised a brow, willing to grasp at anything that didn't require a doctorate to explain. "Oh?" You thought for a moment. "I don't know… we already covered most of it, human-wise."

He tilted his head. "human-wise?"

You shrugged your shoulders and have a small smirk. "I mean, I have a few theories on a certain skeletal monster, but only if he's willing."

His face turned slightly blue. "o-oh?" Back when you were discussing knees, you had mentioned paying attention to where he seemed to have more of a reaction. "where were you… where were you thinking?" He scratched his face.

"After we tried your neck, I was thinking your back- er- spine?" You hesitated. "It's not too much for humans, but maybe you might react different." You tried your best to casually shrug. 

His face flushed again and he looked off to the side. "heh, sure, okay." Walking over to the couch he decided to get comfortable and flopped on the cushions with a pillow for his head. He'd at least be comfy. "like this?" He paused in thought. "or did you need to see it? i can pull up my shirt; no skin off my back, heh."

Your face felt a little warm but you shook it off. "Ye-yeah, that could work." You watched as he reached behind his back with ones of his arms and pulled up his shirt around the base of his rib cage. You may have had a hard time looking away. 

His bones were thicker than a human skeleton model, and his ribcage looked rounder. But what really drew your attention was how his spine was a bridge between his shorts and shirt with nothing underneath. 

You sat down on the edge of the couch near his hips and continued to stare from another angle. Sans glanced over his shoulder at your hesitancy. 

"you wanna grow a spine and try something?" He joked. 

You held out your hand and glanced at him. He looked back with no objections. He definitely wasn't a human. Your hands moved under his spine and wiggled around nothing, feeling for imaginary human guts that don't exist. 

"...augh!"

"Augh!!!"

You quickly pulled your hand back and… HE WAS LAUGHING AT YOU. 

"i'm sorry, eheheh! it was too easy!" His smile was so big he had a hard time looking at you. 

".... You jerk! I thought I hurt you!" You tried to keep your own smile in with the relief he was okay.

He stopped craning his neck to look back at you while he laughed. "you were just so serious, ueheheh!" 

There was that genuine laugh, again. You couldn't be mad when he was actually so happy. But you could be a little mean- it was only fair. 

With your hands in a claw motion, you scratched at the bones in his spine, slowly trailing upwards. He flinched for a second, then continued to laugh just a little more heartily. 

His shoulders shook as he giggled into the pillow. "-worth it." He squeaked out, amidst his laughter. 

As you continued, you noticed he giggled more near his lower some, and as you continued upwards he'd fight between holding it in or straight out cackling. Every few moments, you'd pause long enough he thought he was free, and then you'd stick your fingernail right between a vertebra, causing him to bellow out once more. 

His face was flushed but he was clearly having a good time, and only after a while did he admit defeat. You went to the kitchen and came back with a glass of water for your collapsed friend. He still didn't get up, so you set it on the coffee table and sat back where you were before. 

"you killed me." He said; his face still pressed in the pillow, giggles slipping out occasionally. 

You stared at him for a moment, then smiled. "You're already a skeleton. No court will convict me." 

He gave a dry laugh, but was clearly spent. Taking pity, you gently pinched his shirt and covered his back again. His weird skeleton chest rose and fell with his weird skeleton breathing and you found yourself rubbing his upper back in comfort. This continued until he was almost calmed down; for a moment you thought he was asleep. 

Outside a car door could be heard closing and the sound of your peers could be heard outside in a celebratory cheer. "Drink your water" you suggested in the tone of an order and you stood up to let them in. 

Sans reached out and lightly pinched the fabric of your pant leg near your knee, keeping you in place. He looked up from the couch pillow and stared directly into your eyes for longer than just a few moments. "...... 'k." 

Letting go, he sat up and chugged the water as you walked to the kitchen with a red face. You were going to open the front door but now you needed more time to calm down. You had butterflies in your chest and you weren't sure why now this was happening. He? just?? looked at you??? 

The door opened and Papyrus eyed his brother suspiciously. Teasing him would have to wait. It was party time.


	17. And there was only one bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Get ready to rock. Because a lot of background details are coming through and also a concert. Summary!

You stirred slightly awake but didn't want to get up. Last night was fun. Other than a small round of shots with your peers, you didn't really drink last night. Instead you spent the whole night talking to Sans about anything and everything. How he's been mostly working off campus. How a lot of his jobs are covering people who call in 'sick'. At some point you were tired and he offered his bed to lie down on as a temporary relief for breaking your mind's concept of physics. Then you continued talking. How the magical tornado in his room is regular magic and not physics breaking magic even though it never stops. Asking him to come to the opening show for the play. You talked into the night until everyone left. But now in the morning you were a little cold, so you grabbed your blanket and rolled over to go back to sleep.

\---

Sans woke up with bleary eyes. Last night was so much fun he honestly didn't remember falling asleep. You two talked about a lot of things, actually. At one point you mentioned your winter break how you worked at a movie theater in your hometown and a few of the crazy regulars that frequented. You had vaguely mentioned your parents and how at first they were suspicious of monsters, but once they heard you studied with Papyrus, they acted like he was a celebrity. Which he kind of was. Sans thought this was so cool. You mentioned your sibling and how you were on good terms but didn't talk much. But they even thought Papyrus was cool, so they all seemed good.

He was about to go back to sleep, but noticed his right arm was stretched far over past his left side. He tried to move his arm back but noticed a few things he wasn't expecting. He wasn't draping his arm over the sheet ball like he usually does. You were here on his bed; both of you laying side by side on your backs where you were talking last night. His hand was actually resting on your hip and three of his five fingers were definitely resting on the softness of your skin. And…. Your right hand was gripping the radius bone on his forearm and he couldn't move it away. 

He froze. If he was your boyfriend he'd definitely cuddle against you right now, but as of this moment he didn't know your boundaries. Before when you'd fall asleep like this, he'd get up and leave once he woke up. Also he's pretty sure his hand wasn't there last night and he didn't know what you were okay with. He tried to tug his hand away, his fingertips dragging on your skin. 

You twitched slightly, and he thought he saw a smile on your lips. Then your eyes squinted as though you were going to wake up. Oh no. This was going to be hard to explain. Just as he was mentally rehearsing what to say, you pulled his arm up higher and rolled over to your left. In his attempt to not wake you up, he rolled his body to follow his arm and…. Now he was spooning you. 

Now he was sweating; possibly from blushing too hard. What just happened? Did you think he was a… blanket? If anything, his hand just pulled your shirt up more, and now his fingers were resting both on your stomach and bottom ribs. This wasn't fair… he was one squeeze away from an amazing full body cuddle. But you weren't awake. And he couldn't get away with you holding his arm bone like that!

Suddenly, the door opened and Papyrus peeked in casually. He quietly noticed the situation and then drew his attention to his brother. Sans pleaded with his eyes for help with your grip. He shook his arm every so lightly to draw attention to him. 

The taller brother nodded his head in acknowledgement. Then took out his phone. Against the silent protests of his oldest brother, he took a photo and smiled at the digital treasure. And then he turned around AND LEFT??

No wait. Then he came back in with his feather duster. Ever so silently Papyrus walked up to the bed. And ever so lightly he barely dusted the tip of your nose. And after a few seconds, you let go of Sans' arm and batted at your nose to itch it. Did humans just… do that? He thought it was one of those made up things, like sneezing when someone is talking about you. 

Either way, he quickly pulled his arm away and rolled back while his brother yeeted himself out of the room, probably breaking physics. You stirred awake and he casually offered to make coffee with vanilla creamer. 

\----  
Later  
\---

"Layla! My favorite band is on tour and coming around here this week!" You exclaimed, moving from your desk to your shared living space. Oh man, you were excited. The band hadn't been on the radio in a while so the tickets weren't very expensive.

"Here? In a college town?" She raised her brow quizidly while looking up from her cross stitch.

"... Okay, it's more like a four hour drive, but it's a Saturday night and we can get a hotel! I have just enough saved up to go and-"

"Wait" she interrupted. "This upcoming weekend? I'm flying out for my grad interviews this weekend."

You paused and your enthusiasm deflated. "...I forgot about that…" you huffed. Both upset at the fact you couldn't go to the concert with your friend, and also at the reminder Layla was going to graduate soon. "Ah, well. Maybe they'll be on tour again near your school." You already planned to visit wherever she went. 

"Why don't you ask your bonefriend?" She paused. "I mean, I know he has bones but CAN he-?"

You threw a nearby throw pillow at her before she finished. Fulfilling the item's namesake. But…. You did really want to go with someone…

\---

Moonlight sonata ala trombone echoed through Alphys' lab. "hey y/n, why are you callin' me on the texting machine?" He could hear you trying not to smirk as you responded. 

"nah, i don't have anything goin' on this weekend. why? what's up?" He turned towards a window, trying to ignore how Alphys was obviously eavesdropping. 

For a while he listened to your explanation. Instead of straight out asking him, you were setting the stage on how everything would be paid for and how you'd be borrowing Layla's car, the reason it was so far away...etc. it almost sounded like you were preparing to give him bad news. Instead you asked him that knowing all that, would he like to come to the concert with you?

His soul fluttered a little. While it sounded like Layla was your plan originally, he was still flattered to be your number 2, especially since your roommate was definitely not in the running for the dating category. Plus the fact the trip had an extended stay. "oh….. yeah, that sounds great. i'd like that." You gave a few details and suggested he write them down to let Papyrus know where he was going exactly. 

Sans headed over to Alphys' desk and on a spare sheet of paper wrote down some addresses. The lizard monster peeked over his shoulder and almost sprayed out her yellow soda as she read the notes. 

"okay, yeah, me too. can't wait. okay, bye." He smiled as he hung up the phone. 

"A hoTEL??" Alphys spat out, and then quickly covered her mouth. "Therewasonlyonebed" she quickly whispered. 

He sighed, for a brief moment he forgot who his audience was. "they already told me the discount website had two beds for cheaper than one, so that's what they chose." He clarified, but couldn't help smiling to himself again. You wanted to share a concert experience with him, and you trusted him with a trip out of town and overnight. And just the two of you. It just sounded like a really nice time. And maybe it'd be like Grillby's? It didn't need a label. Whatever it was, he was glad to be with you on it.

"You're smiling~" she squinted her eyes with a smile. "Ohmygoshthisissocute" she lightly punched his arm, probably an influence from her fiance. "You need to tell me everything!"

"it hasn't even happened, yet."

"I know, but like, update me. I gotta know. For… science?" 

"....nah." he pulled an unread manga off the nearby shelf. 

"... Okay. Fine. I'll just go off what information I have, then." She casually put back another manga next to him. This was a threat. If she hasn't already, she will be writing friend-fiction. 

He stared at her, waiting for clarification of a hint she was going to drop it. It never came. ".... fine. i'll tell you the basics of what happened after it happened. tell your three followers from antarctica they can wait."

She gave a sly grin. All according to keikaku. 

\----

"at least let me pay for the tickets."

"No."

"the hotel?" 

"No...!" 

"gas"

"..... It's a four hour drive! No!" 

He leaned against the car door and rested his chin on his hand. You were being difficult in assuming this was a burden on him rather than something he was very willing to do. Even if this was a 'date' you went dutch when you both were at Grillby's. He wants to be fair. "if you're not gonna let me help pay, then you gotta tell me what the alphabet game is." 

You gripped the steering wheel tightly as you stared ahead at the road. "...Okay, fine, gas." From the corner of your eyes you could see him holding in a laugh. 

\----

You both stretched as you got out of the car and into the hotel parking lot. The venue was nearby so the most reasonable step would be to leave your car and belongings at the hotel, first. Sans has already topped off the gas in your car and even got you some caffeine for the road. Even though you felt a little guilty, you weren't complaining. The both of you headed in with your backpacks on and he playfully bumped his side into you and you casually retaliated. Heading up front, you stopped and started the check-in process up front. 

The receptionist seemed to notice the two of you being chummy as you walked in. He smiled with his customer service smile. "So, I guess with this concert in town our demand for two-bed rooms has gone up, and my manager is looking if we can trade a few? If you'd like, at no additional cost, we can switch you to a single bed upgraded to King sized. This also includes a better view of the city, and an upgraded bathroom and microwave." 

The moment he said single bed, you worried this would add an awkward burden between you and Sans and you were poised to politely decline. But then he mentioned the microwave… and the upgraded bathroom. And honestly? The lights in this city are actually really nice. But -really- honestly you wanted the microwave the most. The inner poor college student in you was just going to eat gas station food for dinner and now you can pick something that can get reheated from the grocery store instead. 

You hesitated and looked over to Sans, who was surprised you were considering this given your recent difficult nature. He was not complaining. He shrugged his shoulders but nodded his head, giving his consent for the situation. You both figured after falling asleep on his bed after the party, this would be no different, right? 

The receptionist set up the room and you dropped off your bags. After a quick stop to the nearby market, you put your cheap meals in the mini fridge and headed out to the venue. For a moment, Sans paused and already regretted that he'll have to tell Alphys there was only one bed. 

\---

After waiting through the line, the bouncer checked your IDs and stamped your hand, implying you were old enough to drink. There was a pause as they held Sans' hand, unsure of where to put it. "unless you have monster alcohol, i don't think this is necessary for me." The bouncer was relieved and you both went inside. 

The opening band was playing and you politely listened, but he could tell you weren't very interested. "did you want to head to the bar?" He noticed other audience members were currently partaking as well. 

You squinted your eyes and shook your head. Leaning over, you yelled back over the band. "Nah, the mark-up for alcohol at concerts isn't worth it. The most I'll spend is the four dollars for a bottle of water if I need it." 

It was difficult to initiate small talk when you couldn't hear each other. Looking around, he noticed there was a merchandise table set up behind the reserved tables. He tapped your shoulder, pointed up to the swag booth, and you agreed to follow. 

Things were slightly quieter upstairs since the table was a further distance away from the stage. You both looked around at the items. He picked up a shirt with the band's new album cover. It had a skull on it. You both stared at each other before giggling, and he purchased it for himself. Some nearby concert-goers appeared to be taking some photos on their phone of a skeleton monster buying a skeleton shirt. Looking around, you noticed only a couple monsters; the ratio was not as dense as at your college. You ended up getting a book with the band's lyrics and a few stickers, then headed back downstairs. 

After a while, the opening band finished and the crew got ready for the headliner. The lights went dim, and the intro of the song dragged slowly as the band member's silhouettes walked on stage as a fog machine started up. Sans glanced over and watched as your composed frame fidget in anticipation and a smile spread on your face. You seemed to know this song by the intro alone. 

As the band jumped from song to song, you became more energetic and sang along with everyone. He couldn't hear you specifically due to the volume of the venue, but he definitely glanced over frequently and saw you joining in. Sometimes the band would let the audience finish the chorus and you both could feel the energy of the room as everyone was just as energetic. Sans himself didn't know this band very well (that happens when you lived under a literal rock most of your life) but one or two songs sound a little familiar, as though he may have heard it in passing on the last few years. He did enjoy the music, but he really enjoyed your enthusiasm as well. During the more powerful songs, half of the audience (including you) were jumping up and down during some parts of the songs. You even belted out some lyrics with curse words he only hears from you when you rarely stop being polite. He really liked seeing you like this. 

After the encore, you looked happy, but tired. The band announced a meet up at the merchandise booth and a long line started. Sans offered to wait with you, but you said you'd rather go back and crash at the hotel. Walking back, you mentioned you were just too tired to wait in line that long, and a part of you was ready to meet the band, but not ready for the band to meet you. Your more reserved self came back and he would have insisted you wait in line if you didn't look so exhausted. 

\---

Coming back to the hotel, you immediately called dibs on the shower, seeing as your friend didn't sweat… or at least not as much as you? Mmmmaybe? Well, you were definitely more active than him at the concert and he didn't have any wetness on his shirt. And your hair would take longer to dry, especially since he didn't have any. He didn't seem to mind. 

Once finished, you continued to towel your hair as you stepped out and pulled your meal from the fridge and into the microwave. Sans was looking at his phone while eating some potato salad mix and some reheated corn dogs. He glanced up and stared a little as you stood in front of the microwave with your personal battery at 10%. You were just wearing some flannel pajama pants and a baggy t-shirt and looked… soft. Comfy. Cozy. 

He shook his head out of those thoughts and quickly finished his meal. He may not have been in dire need of a shower himself, but everyone else in that concert hall did and the smell was on him. After he made sure you sat down with your food, he went and rinsed himself off. This was a pretty fancy bathroom with lots of free samples. 

Once he brushed his teeth and the rest of himself, he headed back into the room where you had inhaled most of your meal and were currently trying not to fall asleep in the rest of it. He rested his hand on your shoulder in an attempt not to shock you with his voice. "you can go to bed, i don't think the hotel will be mad you didn't finish your vegetables." 

Your eyes fluttered open as you realized you might have been sleeping. "Yeah. Okay." You got up and stumbled over to one side of the bed where you plugged in your phone, got under the covers and immediately fell asleep. 

Sans packed up his things a little and glanced down at himself. While they were not the same color, he was also wearing similar pants and baggy shirt. He appreciated your similar dedication to comfort. 

After a while he turned the TV on mute and to an infomercial about a frying pan and turned off all the lights so the screen illuminated the room alone. As he plugged in his phone and crawled into his side of the bed, he glanced over at your still body. Admittedly, he stared for about a minute to make sure you were breathing, you were that still. But also he really noticed how far away you were. A King sized bed was actually pretty big? He figured Papyrus could fit in here as well as long as nobody sprawled around too much. After laying his head down, he turned towards you and hugged one of the bed's many spare pillows and watched you breathe slowly. It was strange, having such a sudden awareness if you were breathing or not, and a strong sense of urgency to make sure you continued to. Eventually he passed out as well; the TV lights still flashing across the bed. 

\---

It was morning when he opened his eye sockets. You looked to be in the same position, but a few twitches of your shoulder suggested you had barely moved but were looking at your phone anyway. "mornin'..." he mumbled as he stretched his arms and legs ever so slightly. 

You stirred, and then actually took a bit of effort to turn around towards him. You must not have moved all night. ".... Everything hurts " you mumbled. "I am not built for concerts."

He raised a weird malleable brow "do you regret it?"

"No. It was amazing. I accept my fate…" your eyes closed and you very slowly started to stretch under the blankets.

He grinned at your attempt. Again, the bed was so large he barely felt you tugging at the blankets and you moved. Slowly, he let go of his cuddle pillow and somehow got up faster than you. It took you so long to wake up that you didn't notice as he went into the bathroom to get dressed, he was gone longer than a few minutes. By the time you finally sat up, he handed you a coffee-shop latte, the same flavor you had gotten on your drive up. 

"Wha…" Right, he can McFuckin teleport. You smelled the coffee and your mind changed. You could cry. "Oh my God, thank you." And you took the cup from him and sipped, exhaling the heat of the drink as it was very fresh. Breaking physics could have its benefits. 

You went and got dressed and ready for the day and eventually headed downstairs to check out and grab your complimentary breakfast-2-go, which was an egg sandwich, portable juice, and muffin or go-gurt. This hotel was not rated for its breakfast. The both of you then embarked for the 4 hour drive home. 

\---

After another gas stop and snack break, you put the car into park and turned off the ignition. You were dropping Sans off at his house and you're headed home after this to do last minute laundry and maybe take a nap. The trip home was fun and you actually listened to more of the band from your phone when you weren't talking about anything and everything. 

It felt weird to suddenly say goodbye after hanging out so long, but all good things just come to an end. He unbuckled his seat and turned towards you. "hey, uh, thanks for invitin' me, i really liked going on this adventure with you." He had to solidify this wasn't a burden. 

You smiled, but then turned towards him with an indecisive look on your face. "Thanks, um, me too… " your eyes kept darting off to the side and though you weren't finished. He held still, giving you time. After a few moments you'd finally looked in his direction and grabbed both his hands, squeezing them lightly. "I really liked having you there. It means a lot to me." Your thumbs lightly traced the tops of his hands and you have another squeeze, not sure what to do next as your face flushed slightly. 

He had a dumb grin on his face and squeezed your hands back. "anytime." And even though he didn't want to let go, it looked like your brain was shorting out, so he reluctantly pulled away after getting a final squeeze in. He stepped out of the car and waved you off as you headed home.

. . . Once out of sight, he gave himself a small fist pump and still couldn't get rid of his dumb grin. Hand holding? He will take it! He turned to head towards the house only to see Papyrus looking at him with a smile on his face and a phone in his hand. Of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I tried not to put in too much info about the band because y/n is you and I want you to imagine a band that has an emotional impact on you not only in a relatable way, but in a way you hope to build yourself forward. An empathetic and empowering band, if you will. That's different for everyone and I respect that. 
> 
> But if you don't happen to have a band that relates to you in that way, please read this excerpt:
> 
> \--
> 
> During one of the more energetic songs, the bass suddenly ramped up as the lead singer spoke the song into the microphone: "I'm sick of standing in your line, so now you'll have to take this. Take this to heart!-" 
> 
> "I WILL NEVER LET YOU FUCK ME OVER!" The crowd shouted in unison with fists in the air and before Sans could even process your the passion you were expressing, you quickly moved into the next lyric and moved your hands to the quick drum solo. He grinned as the music boomed through the speakers. For this moment, you were truly enthralled and he couldn't help but feel empowered by your energy.


	18. The Great Ambassador-Mascot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who all know what you've been up to, what about Papyrus? He's the ambassador-mascot after all!

While you have been busy with the play and his brother, The Great Papyrus has been working on one of the most important events of the year! The annual Monster-Cultural Event! Featuring multiple aspects of the underground that all humans can learn and things monsters actually liked! 

Everything was almost ready. The weather was perfect. Security was controlled and not intimidating. The monster food booths smelled amazing. The games had everything they needed set up, including the giant tank to accommodate onion-san. The informational stations were staffed with patient monsters and all craft tables had areas for donations to give to the local food bank and housing company. Even Jerry had been kicked out twice already, so it would only be a matter of time until he stays at a nearby coffee shop and steals their WiFi for the rest of the day. All he was waiting on now we're a few of his favorite people. In the distance, he already could see his brother's white skull and… wait…

There you were with his brother, HOLDING HANDS; just wait until he tells the CHURCH. He snickered to himself. 

He continued to mindlessly arrange his stack of completed checklists, but his sockets kept glancing up to keep tabs on those around him. Frisk just arrived with lady Toriel. Still no sign of Undyne. You had let go of his brother's hand to look at the spread of items Gerson had at his shop/ informational booth. Gerson only agreed to man a station if he could pawn off a few items, and he had the most knowledge of the underground in its early days. After a bit of discussion with the turtle monster, you started to leave but his brother did not. Instead his brother grinned lazily with his eyes closed until you grabbed his hand again to pull him along. Ah. Sans was a tricky one when he wanted to be.

\----

"You're such a goober" you teased as you walked along the booths. Up ahead was a snail racetrack and the idea of not seeing this would haunt you forever.

"hey if i'm going to be a nut, i may as well be chocolate covered." After the chocolate kiss fiasco last month, Sans may have studied the entire candy aisle at the grocery store to familiarize himself with all the weird surface candy names. 

You stopped at the fence and looked over to the three little snails and their racing paths. The ghost vendor explained you had to cheer, so you cupped both hands around your mouth and shouted general encouragement. One of the snails won. Another snail hid in a corner. Either way you put a few coins into the nearby donation bin. All funds went directly to monster legal development and housing. 

You began to move to the next both, but noticed Sans still standing still again; one hand in his pocket, the other was waiting. His grin stayed put, waiting for your move. 

Laughing, you grabbed his hand again. "I feel like I'm towing some kind of trailer, here."

He was tugged along and appeared pleased. "guess i'm a regular piece of trailer trash." He joked.

You weren't sure if this was a joke on a new phrase he learned or self deprecating humor, so you twisted it around. "No, you're definitely a trailer treasure." You joked back, keeping the mood positive. 

"heh…." He lagged behind a step as you pulled him to the next event. He was caught off guard and a small blush stayed on his face a little longer than expected. Suddenly, he looked ahead.

"oh hey, i actually want you to meet someone." this time, tugging your hand, he led you over to a covering where mostly monsters were chatting. Sitting on a table with their feet on the bench seat was a human teenager, texting on their phone. 

"hey kid. y/n, this is frisk. frisk, y/n. frisk is a good friend from the underground." he grinned and watched your reaction. 

You paused and glanced over to Frisk. They gave the sign for 'what's up'. A few thoughts tumbled through your head. This was…. the human child who has helped free the monsters! The ambassador! You knew that they were close to the skeleton family; Papyrus was the mascot and often worked with Frisk. But the news didn't report much about them as they were a minor and their guardian wanted them to have a childhood without too much publicity. So you definitely didn't know they communicated through ASL. Were they mute? Or were they Deaf and did some lip reading? You knew a little ASL?? Maybe you should respond the best you can? Or… maybe both. 

"Oh... hi!" You waved. "Nice… To.. Meet… You." You slowly signed back as you spoke. Did you do it right? 

Frisk smiled and signed the same back at you. Phew. There was a pause and you realized maybe you should politely ask something? They were very important to Sans and the entire monster race, so you can shove down your anxiety and try to communicate in the language they are comfortable in!

One of your coworkers at the movie theater in your home town was Deaf with a cochlear implant, and he had taught you a few things, which is why you knew anything at all. Oh! It would be helpful if you knew how to sign their name. Sure, you could spell it, but as you had learned over summer and winter breaks, there is an easier way. 

"Your… Name-sign… What?" Yeah, you couldn't speak and sign together perfectly yet, give yourself a break!! 

The teenager grinned and gave the sign for 'dog' (which looked like a snap and leg pat) but ended with the letter F as the main sign, ultimately making their name turn into the circle game you have now lost. You find yourself covering your mouth to hide the sudden smile. Yes, it was a joke name to prompt a response, but you still felt bad about laughing at their name. 

Frisk now seemed happy and loosened up a little. They quickly started signing more things and you absolutely could not follow. Uh… the sign for 'boy'? To get? To make? You forgot it's been a while. A lot of these signs you didn't know and now you were over your head. They finished with their eyebrows raised, implying they were asking a yes or no question. UHHH.

Your shoulders slouched. The sudden confidence loss of not knowing what you were reading was enough to forget how to say anything else. You signed 'sorry'. "Sorry… I'm not that good at sign language." Hoping they could lipread. 

You noticed a tension leaving Sans' shoulders. He chuckled and spoke for his friend. "frisk is just excited to meet 'cha, and they can hear you just fine, so you don't have to sign back." 

OH THANK GOD. You did not realize just how high your anxiety was from trying to speak to a teenage ambassador in a different language was until now. That was a bit of a tall order. Teenagers are difficult enough to impress. 

He glanced around. "your mom is callin' you, frisk. it looks like you need to find a new place to hide." He tilted his head towards another crowd of monsters; was he referring to Toriel? You couldn't see a white goat monster from here, so Sans might just be bluffing. Either way, Frisk waved goodbye and ran off while your friend pretended to look away with his one hand free. Quickly cupping his hand in yours, you led him down the next path full of food vendors. The path smelled of both delicious food and a slight ozone odor, which usually accompanied magic use.

"Glamburger… made with edible glitter and sequins… really?" You let go of his hand to grab a pamphlet. You had never heard of edible sequins. "And you can digest these?"

"oh no. you can't. they just pass right through you. but technically you can eat them. like a piece of gum…. almost." He rolled on his heels and grinned at your suddenly concerned face. Is this a human or monster health violation? You'll never know, because now everything is upside-down. 

Your entire body was shooting through the air! Screaming, you flailed as you spun and landed into a surprisingly soft pile of golden flower… pillows? 

"FUHUHUHU!! I told you the winner gets to suplex the losers, even if it is six months later!!" The fish monster you had raced with was here in a more professional looking outfit. Her armor was probably viewed as too combative, so instead she wore a very regal leather jacket and slacks. She must be helping out with this event as well. 

A skeletal hand picked you up and held you close to his body for support as you tried to regain your bearings and sense of gravity. "geeze, 'dyne, be more careful. They aren't as resilient as paps." His worried face relaxed as he gave a quick glance at your recovery. You looked to be alright, just out of sorts; he winked. "throw them a bone, won't you?" 

Her fishy brow raised at Sans' unusual concern, and a very coy (koi?) smile spread to her lips. "Fuhuhu~ okay." Her attitude change was honestly a little scary. In response, Sans backed up from his embrace and gave you some space. 

Her sly smile held for a few more moments before she started glancing around. "Hey, if this is your first time here, make sure to check out the water flower game with Onion-san. He's uh, he's trying his best…. CHERISH HIM!" She must have known him from the underground. After a bit of small talk, she headed out to the stage area and you continued your walk with your skeleton friend. 

This was your first time at this event. You had considered going last year, before you knew Papyrus, but the location required a car and Layla didn't want to try and park with such large crowds that first year. Even now, crowds of humans started funneling in and you held Sans' hand to not only get him moving, but also so you wouldn't lose him in the crowd. 

There were a lot of dog monsters here, and apparently they all wanted pets. Maybe that was how they greeted each other? You complied. You pet the cutest couple of dogs, a big puffy dog, a dog with a long neck, and even a really goopy dog(s)? They all appreciated the ear scritches. At one point Sans joked that he didn't get any pets, so you scratched at the air where his ears would be. Just a good time all around. 

\---

The day progressed and eventually led up to the stage where Papyrus, Frisk, and the town mayor all made announcements with special guests. A slam poetry artist, a few bands, and probably some other local politicians. You didn't pay too much attention as the booths were very distracting… as was also a certain skeleton. 

The crowd settled down as the mayor spoke. Messages of unity and progression and how monster integration was both socially and economically beneficial. Applause was followed by Frisk and Papyrus both approaching the stage. The teenager waved at the audience until the fanfare died down, and then they handed the taller skeleton a prepared speech. He began to read from it as Frisk stood by.

"GREETINGS FRIENDS. IT IS SO NICE TO SEE EVERYONE HERE ON THE SURFACE. GOOD JOB HUMANITY FOR CONTINUING TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES. A COUPLE WEEKS AGO MY FRIEND WAS ALMOST JUMPED, BUT THE SUSPECT WAS QUICKLY CAUGHT AND EVERYONE WAS SAFE. THERE ARE STILL SOME BAD PEOPLE OUT THERE, BUT IT IS TO BE EXPECTED. OVERALL, WE'RE DOING GREAT. POGGERS, Y'ALL."

Papyrus suddenly leaned over to the teenager and expressed confusion over what they just said. He returned to the mic. "YES. POGGERS INDEED." 

There was some confused applause but the younger audience cheered. Frisk gave a final wave and it was time for Papyrus to speak for his own segment. 

"HUMANS AND MONSTERS. WE ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY IN CELEBRATION! THIS IS ALL REALLY GOOD AND I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE EVERYONE ENJOYING THEMSELVES! I AM STILL GETTING USED TO YOUR UNCONTROLLED WEATHER, BUT I AM GLAD THAT IS STILL SUNNY WITH A CEILING THAT IS NOT ROCKS. IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS SINCE…. OH. HELLO. CAN YOU NOT DO THAT? HELLO?" He looked far off into the crowd. Heads turned around to find who he was addressing. Clearly they weren't listening. "I'M SORRY, I'LL HAVE TO BRING YOU HERE."

A scream suddenly could be heard from behind, but it sounded like it was falling. Only up. At the booths in the back of the crowd, a very large white bone suddenly shot up from the ground and on top was a human clinging to it for their life while shouting obscenities.

"LANGUAGE, PLEASE. JUST A MOMENT." With another sweep of his hand, a couple bones shot out at a perfect angle between the top of the bone tower and the stage; it was a makeshift slide. And the human up top did not have a choice about where they would end up. Another shriek and the crowd watched wordlessly as the individual reached the stage where Papyrus helped them up. They had a hoodie on with a handkerchief around their neck. At one point, it must have been over their face. They had a splash of black paint haphazardly sprayed over part of their arm and leg, as if something bumped them while tagging. 

"NOW THEN. WE CAN'T HAVE YOU PAINTING RIGHT NOW, THERE IS A CROWD AND THE FUMES CAN BE IRRITATING!" He turned and sweetly placed his large gloved hand on the perpetrator's shoulder. "ALSO I DON'T THINK THE CINNABUNNY STATION REALLY NEEDED SUCH UNKIND WORDS PAINTED ON IT."

If the hooded individual wasn't shaking so hard from the sudden skeletal slip and slide, they may have retorted with some words of their own. "I THINK YOU CAN DO BETTER." he announced, now both hands on the terrified individual's shoulders. "AFTER THIS, LET'S FIX THE STATION TOGETHER AND HAVE A NICE TALK, OKAY?" 

They didn't respond verbally, but shook their head while nervously glancing at the gloves on their shoulders. After that, Papyrus wrapped his arm over the human's shoulder, and finished his speech while also keeping close tabs to make sure they didn't escape. The audience gave a final applause and the events started up again while Papyrus headed towards the food booths with his new friend. 

You stood silently in shock, like a handful of humans still around you. "Papyrus, he… That was… " you blinked at your memories of the impressive sight. "... Really cool." 

Sans beamed at the compliment towards his brother. "yeah, paps is the coolest."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even though this is a sans/reader fic we needed a Papyrus appreciation segment because he is very important and great and a big part of Sans' life. He's also really fucking cool. A lot of this now let's reader get perspective into Sans' life because knowing someone is a two way street.


	19. He had it coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few topics covered in this chapter and an educational experience for everyone.

Sahahans: hey u wanna guess how many blueberries this flock of ducks can eat 🫐🦆  
Sahahans: i think it's gonna be a lot  
Sahahans: [img591]  
Sahahans: also unrelated, i gotta go to the store again to pick up blueberries. did u want to come with me?  
Y/N: That actually sounds like fun but I'm getting ready for an interview right now.   
Sahahans: o? did the stage manager finally get fired?  
Y/N: ?  
Y/N: Oh.  
Y/N: No, they still are involved  
Y/N: I mean for a job. I need to get one before finals or I'll have to head home again during summer break.   
Y/N: Gotta go, ttyl  
Sahahans: wat.

\-----

Sans stared at his phone as a few ducks weaved between his legs to get the last few blueberries he spilled outside his house. 

"BROTHER, I AM IN JUST AS MUCH SHOCK AT HOW QUICKLY THESE DUCKS GOT HERE, BUT YOU REALLY NEED TO MOVE AND HELP ME WITH THE REST OF THESE GROCERIES BEFORE THEY REALIZE THE REST OF THE BAGS ALSO HAVE FOOD." 

Moving out of his fog, Sans picked up a few bags from the car and followed his brother closely in thought. "hey, uh, when is summer break?" He tried to ask as casually as possible. 

"SUMMER BREAK IS FROM EARLY MAY TO EARLY AUGUST AND-- OH MY GOD!! SANS, THE OATMEAL!!!" 

The swarm of ducks came back in full force to attack the now open tube of rolled oats spilling out on the driveway that somebody dropped out of shock. "three months?? but i saw you taking classes all summer long??"

Papyrus marched over and snatched the remaining bags from his brother. "YES, I TOOK SUMMER CLASSES, BUT THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE PREREQUISITES FOR ALL OF MY MINORS. HIGHER LEVEL COURSES ARE ONLY AVAILABLE DURING THE REGULAR ACADEMIC YEAR." 

The taller skeleton sped carefully into the house, making sure not to punt any birds on the way. His brother followed. "so there aren't any classes y/n- your major can take in the summer?"

He stood still. "... NO. AND I SEE WHERE YOU'RE GETTING AT. CLASSES ALSO TEND TO COST MORE IN THE SUMMER, SO- !!!! SANS!! THERE ARE DUCKS!!! IN THE HOUSE!!! YOU DIDN'T CLOSE THE DOOR!!" There were at least three ducks waddling around the living room. The ducks he could see. 

"...oh, whoops." Honestly, the ducks going wild on the crumbs of their couch was not Sans' highest priority right now. 

\----

"you don't have any openings at all?" Sans leaned against the desk of the movie theaters assistant manager's desk. The man in his late twenties shook his head. 

"Not ones we haven't already promised. The summer traffic here gets really scarce. We can't afford to be overstaffed if all our customers aren't in town." He continued to go over the inventory budget in front of him. "That's why we only called you in around the summer holidays last year. All the other employees are desperate for hours." 

He deflated. "okay, well thanks for lettin' me know…" 

Leaving the building, he ran his hands over his skull in thought in the cool, empty parking lot. This was job number five that he's tried asking about openings for. And they all had the same excuse of not enough hours in the summer. The cold spring wind fluttered his jacket around him and he tried to collect his thoughts and figure out what to do next. 

\----

It was the night of the play and Sans sat down in his seat and looked over the programme in his hand. Your name was listed in the stage hand staff, while "the director" just had question marks for the name. The play was named after some city and the picture was just a photo of a high heel. This seemed very Mettaton. 

He looked a little closer at the print and noticed an asterisk stating this play was not intended for younger audiences. Which made sense considering the first act had a murder right after a cheery song in questionable outfits. 

The songs were catchy but the plot wasn't his cup of tea. Instead he focused on the detailed moving backgrounds. There were clearly a lot of people working behind the scenes. 

Actually, more than people, monsters too. At least a quarter of the actors were monsters, one of which was one of the three main leads. This was significantly higher than the last play that had one monster playing a throw away character. His eye lights glanced around, catching the details of the staff and the very well timed choreography. 

As another catchy song started, he noticed the background sets lining up to look like prison cell block silhouettes with a different colored bright light illuminating each set. Quickly, each cell had an individual already dancing in them almost as fast as the set appeared. He wondered if an actor was following you so close behind so they could jump in right away. Or maybe you were wheeling the set around with an actor in it. 

And then he realized it. In the far left, yellow cell, that was you? Was that weird he could recognize you? Because the biggest thought in his mind was that the hidden crew was dancing. 

\----

As the play finished and the actors came out to bow, he couldn't help but think about what he saw earlier. A few times, actually! It was mostly the profile of your face and the cut off your hair he recognized. But the person he thought was you wasn't wearing the regular black jeans and long sleeves you wore in the last play. Mindlessly clapping, he collected his thoughts and almost missed you taking a very quick bow. There were a fair number of stage hands and they all were wearing tight fitting black tops and bottoms. He uh. Wasn't expecting that. Maybe he did see you dancing?

\---

He stood in the lobby and leaned against the wall as actors came out in extravagant outfits that didn't leave much to the imagination. Of course, up close now you could see the skin (or fur depending on the monster)-tone dressings underneath for modesty. Despite it being a theme he wouldn't seek out, he had to admit the play was very impressive and occasionally gave a thumbs up to any actors who glanced at him while looking for their friends or family. 

A professionally dressed woman stood still until Mettaton came out. After a few moments of handshakes, she approached him and seemed to relay some interesting information. He called out two of the lead actors, and all four of them went back stage together away from the crowd. The surrounding actors and their families began to mumble and gossip. 

Eventually you came out in the same tight fitting black long sleeve shirt you wore on stage, but it looks like you changed into some low sitting jeans for comfort reasons. You carried your bag and coat in your arms and looked around until you saw Sans. Walking up to see him, you glanced back at the door Mettaton went through, and then back at him. 

"That was a talent scout." You spoke, informantly. Most visitors would ask and you were just used to giving that response when people looked confused. "No Papyrus?" 

He shook his head after understanding why this person was a big deal. "not tonight. he sends his apologies and deepest regrets. pr wanted some last minute town hall over the event last week." He shrugged "you'll have to settle for second best."

You looked confused, and then glanced over his shoulder and if looking for someone. "Where? I don't see them." And then turned your focus back to Sans and gave a short smug grin. You liked being close enough to someone to call them out on their bullshit in a friendly manner. 

He wasn't blushing. The lights were just weird. "heh, uh, no layla?" He asked, trying to change the topic. 

You shook your head. "She had a lab, but I'll see her tonight, probably." You stretched, clearly tired. 

He tilted his head. "you hungry?" 

"Starving" was your quick response. "I kind of just want to eat and veg. That play took a lot out of me." 

"grillby's?" 

You hesitated. 

"they do pick up. we can get it on the way to your place?" 

A sigh of relief. "That sounds amazing, actually." You both headed out the door and you pulled out your phone that has been on silent.

"Let me see if Layla wants…..nope, nevermind. No Layla tonight." You gave a nervous grin. Your roommate apparently was staying at a lady friend's place tonight. Only she didn't phrase it as politely in her text.

You continued walking off campus and towards the bar. Sans called in the order before telling you all about the fact his house has regular visits from water fowl now. The nights weren't as bitter cold and with a coat, it was a pleasant stroll. Which was good since the only other option was a shortcut and it didn't seem like your body liked that. 

\---

You hurried inside your apartment, ready to start eating. The living room was a bit messy with your backpack and random items on one half of the couch, so you claimed the other half and Sans took the recliner. Turning on the TV, you watched some YouTube videos reviewing weird food as you ate your own ravenously. 

After a while you were getting tired, but didn't want to go to sleep. However, the TV just wasn't as interesting. "I know we're hanging out, but it's it alright if I just zombie myself on my phone?" You didn't want to be rude but you just needed some unwinding activities. Sans agreed and even pulled out his phone, ready to do the same. 

You started picking up your backpack and other items and placed them on the floor. Then, picking up a throw pillow, you laid on your stomach with the cushion under your chest and your arms in front holding your phone. Completely vegging out. Sans even started texting you memes. You smiled.

Eventually the YouTube videos cycled to more boring reviews. This one was about the strength tests of different wood glues. Sans stopped watching and looked over at you. That tight shirt wouldn't let him stop staring. You back was just so… Weird! Not in a bad way?? He knew you also had a skeletal structure, but it just looked so different than his! You looked up and caught him staring. 

"...s-sorry" he glanced away, probably realizing that was rude. Instead you just appeared confused. 

"What's up? Is there something on me?" You turned slightly to look over your shoulder, but admittedly you were too exhausted to care. He seemed at loss for words. Did he… not feel like he can ask you anything? The darker thoughts about you being unapproachable kicked in again. You didn't want that. Try again. You spoke, trying to sound as casual as possible. "It's okay, you can ask or tell me anything." 

He paused. "heh, uh, i just had never seen your back like this before." He motioned, referring to your shirt. "i was trying to figure out how the spine doesn't stick out." Yes he had massaged your shoulders near the top, but it almost looked like the rest of your spine just sunk into your flesh?? Normally he wouldn't think about humans and how their skeletal structure worked, but he was so close to you now, it was bothering him that he didn't know. 

You blinked. "Is that all?" That was a huge relief to your insecurities. Plus, now you could be in education mode which made you a little more confident. "You can touch it if you want, it's fine with me." And you turned slightly to pat the futon couch near your hip. There was enough room for him to sit on the edge of it. 

"..." Well, he wasn't going to say no. He moved to sit on the couch and trailed his hand from the lower base to the neck of your spine quickly. Immediately you tensed up and your shoulders raised like a cat. "sorry. did that...hurt?" He wasn't sure what that was. 

You relaxed slightly and shook your head. "No, I'm fine." And quickly jumped into education mode. "Human spines are just the path of a lot of nerves and don't get touched like that often. I'll get desensitized in a minute, you can keep going." And you looked back at your phone. 

He moved his fingers lightly at your spine, and like you said, you soon became desensitized and confined to be reading some other memes on social media. 

After that, he continued his education on why human spines were so weird. It was because they were covered in soft skin and a fair amount of muscle. But you seemed to be content, and occasionally your eyes would close for longer than a millisecond. It was honestly soothing. 

After pressing at your back to feel each individual vertebrae, he started to explore the nearby back muscle which added to the texture. Near your lower back, his fingertips trailed towards in-between the spine and top of your hip bone on the side your hand was dominant. You flinched slightly, but continued to look at your phone. 

That wasn't really on the spine, so he wasn't expecting it to react like that. Out of curiosity, he did the same on the other side but could not replicate it. You must be expecting it now. He pet your back again, and then traced his hand over that first spot again and again you twitched. 

That was weird. He'd ask, but he was surprised you didn't tell him first when you clearly felt it. How odd. Again. You adjusted your hips and had your lips tucked into your mouth to hide your expression. Hm. Again. You wiggled slightly and were clearly fighting back a smile there. That explains it. 

Sans started to move his finger lightly back and forth over that spot and you weren't looking at your phone anymore, your eyes closed and fighting a smile. "so what's this spot? i don't have anything here, so I can't figure out what this is." He grinned. 

"Idon'tknow" you quickly answered and shut your mouth. 

He slowed down but his finger traced the outline of where you seemed to react. "why's it only on this side? i thought humans like to be all bilateral and stuff." 

Your hips wiggled and you shoved your face in-between your arms. "-Idon'tknow." You spoke, your voice muffled. 

"really? you seem to know somethin' is going on." And he started to rapidly move his fingertip very lightly around that spot as it showed a 'funnier' reaction from you.

"I dohont" you laughed and made a sound like a snort. "It's really weiheherd" 

You really didn't. It's not common knowledge that in individuals who have a tendency for their muscles going tense that this would occur. And it probably didn't help with it being aggravated from dancing in the play and the fact it was on your dominant side. You didn't know that for some weird reason, the body will just conglomerate a pinch of nerves endings there that would cause a reaction. Sure, if someone were to press firmly, you would also twitch, but it may also feel sore like a knot. But if someone were to lightly trace over that spot…. Well, this happens. 

He grinned. See? He wasn't the only one thinking backs were weird. Correction, weiheherd. After an eruption of giggles and wiggles, you finally batted at him to stop. You set your phone aside and sat up slightly, taking the throw pillow with you. Patting the futon couch where your head laid, you motioned towards him. "Skeleton tax, sit here."

He smirked and followed suit. What were you planning to do? He didn't have anything remotely close to what you had. Once he sat down, he was surprised to see you set the pillow on his lap followed by your head as you faced the TV. 

"You've been banished to headrest duty." You were honestly too worn out from the play and then he made you spend more energy laughing? Penalty to the laziest degree. 

His hand on the side you were laying hovered for a moment before resting on your head. You closed your eyes. There was an unspoken trust as the TV lulled quietly in the background. Gently, he stroked the hair on your head until you fell asleep. 

\----

Layla came in later that next morning and raised her brow at the two sleeping forms on the couch. "Aww, cute." Papyrus would think so. She took a photo with her phone as you slowly started to wake. Before she responded to your questioning, she sent it to the taller brother. She wanted to contribute to the blackmail pile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy mostly conscious cuddles. The academic year end is coming up! 
> 
> Also lots of views! Hello to everyone who made it this far!
> 
> ilu please take this fun sized bag of Skittles to represent my love.


	20. The Final Countdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brace yourself; finals and insecurities are coming. Also summer break 💔

This was it. After all this time. The one thing you wanted. The one thing you think you're ready for. You wanted to smooch a skeleton. 

Unfortunately, there were way more pressing matters you didn't want and were not ready for. Finals. Layla leaving this summer now that she was accepted into grad school. Finals. You still have one more performance to go through and Mettaton is almost too full of himself to provide direction. F i n a l s. Oh, and also the fact you don't have a job yet which means if you smooch a skeleton now, you wouldn't be able to see him for three months! You couldn't do that to him.

Negative anticipation radiated from your body. At least one item would be crossed off the list tonight. One more performance in the play and you'll have a lot more free time to panic about things you can't control. You can do this and you can get through this. 

\----

The audience cheered and you took your second bow as it was the final performance. It was loud and you were exhausted. 

Once everyone headed back stage, people were already in a party mood. Someone brought New year's poppers and a few of them startled you. If someone was stalling and had no one to talk to for a moment, you'd tell them they did a great job on stage and move on. 

You were happy if they were happy, but didn't necessarily cheer or seek actors out. If anything, your mind was focused more on the next task rather than celebrating. You didn't mind celebrating, but it always felt weird since you weren't super close with anyone else. You were reliable and always there that enough people knew your name, but were never really seeked out personally. Yes, you'd engage in small talk and help provide directions, information or warning, but the few times you'd talk about yourself it always seems to fall on deaf ears or just turn the conversation into something else. You didn't mind too much, as you liked what you did. Again, that meant you weren't in 'the group' but you liked being behind the scenes and helping things run smoothly. 

You slipped your jeans over your black pants and helped pick up the discarded outfit pieces from costume changes spread around the spare table. They'd have to be cleaned and put into storage and it'd help if they were all in the same place. An object suddenly zoomed by you and slammed in the wall.

"Holy SHIT!" That almost hit you! After a few milliseconds of looking around, you realized it was the cork on some champagne some actors just opened. The perpetrators covered their mouths in nervous laughter and shouted 'sorry!' You still grasped your chest as your heart pounded. 

"Y/N! Was that you??" One of the main group of theater students asked. 

"Yeah, I'm fine" your heart was just trying to leave your body.

"I've never heard you curse before!" They shouted.   
"We've finally corrupted them!" Quipped another.   
"Soon enough you'll be as salty as Derrick!" One joked.  
"Hey, fuck you, you twat waffle" Derrick snapped at the previous speaker.

They broke into laughter and you didn't respond as they weren't really listening. Your inner thoughts swirled aggressively. 

You didn't have time for this. You think about how they only paid attention to you if they thought they changed you? But that wasn't what they meant. But that's how it felt. They assumed they had the impact on your life as though you weren't already like that. It's not like they didn't have the chance to get to know you, you've worked with them for at least a couple years. You are a whole person, even if you are behind the scenes. A person with finals who needs a job. A person who is unapproachable enough that you're not even worth getting to know. You need to eat something. And you have a paper due on Monday. You'll be fine later. There gotta be something wrong with you. Maybe you shouldn't move things along with Sans just yet until you figure this out. If you figure this out… God, you need a shower.

You headed home.

\----

Papyrus' study group wasn't bursting with positive energy either. You didn't feel like you were sinking, but everyone was trying to cram at much information as they could as this class was very dense. In fact, two of the classes you shared with Papyrus were this way. Your team even cancelled studying his third class since its demands weren't as strong. 

A plate of sugar cookies you made slowly dwindled away from stress eating, but you had baked more than enough for the group (possibly to alleviate stress by creating something). By the time your peers braked for another round of basketball, you probably ate more than your fair share. 

Walking out of the bathroom, you noticed another skeleton at the table, munching on a cookie like you had intended. Sans bait. Before you realized it, a smile spread on your face. At least he was a pleasant constant. 

Until summer break.

Shaking out of that thought, you sat at the table and looked at your friend (who pretended he didn't see you looking) as he glanced at his phone. You thought you were being sneaky but he caught on a while ago and he had been pretending not to notice since he liked the attention (only from you, though). 

Your brain started shouting at you again. What would it be like to nuzzle bone? Or smooch bone? Geeze, you still didn't even know which one, yet. But you weren't here to smooch, you were here to study for your finals. Which were in less than three weeks. And then you would have to head to your hometown since you still don't have a job. That would be a cruel smooch. That would be mean. And then, even if you continued in the fall semester where you left off, you already have enough unresolved baggage that wasn't fair to put on him... It probably wouldn't last long. You wanted it to, but with your experience, you had to be realistic and expect anything to change. 

You were being quiet. At first it seemed cute, but now Sans was a little concerned. "hey uh, what's on your mind?" Maybe he could help?

Had he caught you staring? You averted your eyes. "... Finals." That wasn't a lie, technically. You had to say more than that to be convincing, though. "... I'm not really absorbing the last two chapters for our class with the labs." And that was true! ...Was it bad you could be a convincing liar?

"oh…" he seemed to think for a moment, nibbling on the cookie in thought. "now that the play is over… you should come over more... to study." 

You gave a weak laugh and rubbed your eyes. "Haha…. No, the last thing I need is more distractions." Yes, you would love that, but you were pretty sure you wouldn't focus on studying. 

\---

Alphys tapped on her phone happily. One of the more tolerable students she wrote a recommendation for got into her desired grad school! Her phone pinged again and her smile faded. "What the heck! Mettaton….!" She quickly stood up and tapped at her phone. It rang and she took the call as she left the room. "I cannot BELIEVE that-" the door slammed behind her. 

It was the next day and the two brides-to-be were at the brother's house, going over color swatches and talking about party favors. Neither of them were great at it, so Papyrus was helping them coordinate. 

Undyne looked up from the fabric book and over to the couch where Sans was laying, but not napping. "What's up with him?" She asked her fellow tall friend.

"HE'S MOPING OVER THINGS HE CAN'T CONTROL." Papyrus answered as he tried to find the best complimentary color between a yellow lizard and blue and red fish without looking like a box of crayons.

"... Oh no, did he get dumped!?" Her hands went flat on the table.

"you know, i can hear you…?" The voice drifted from the living room.

She stood up from her chair and walked to the living room. "Sorry you got dumped, man." Clearly the correct response was to say it to his face. 

He rolled on the couch and faced the back cushion. "... didn't get dumped…" his voice mumbled. Can't get dumped if you're not dating. 

She sympathetically patted his shoulder, not really believing him. "You wanna talk about it? Alphys and I have gotten into rough patches before." She offered her potential sage advice. If she's engaged, that must mean she's doing something right?

"..." He did not.

"Y/N IS LEAVING AT SUMMER BREAK"

"Ouch…" 

He frowned into the couch. 

"THEY ALSO CALLED HIM A DISTRACTION WHILE STUDYING FOR FINALS."

"are you just going to tell her everything…?" He grumbled.

"YOU'RE NOT DOING IT VERY WELL!" His brother continued to shout from the kitchen. 

He tried to rest his arm over his face in hopes they would leave him alone.

Undyne seemed to think for a moment to provide some sort of comfort. "Well, at least they still want to smooch you. Shame about them leaving..." She shrugged sadly. 

He quickly turned his shoulders over, resting on his elbow with an accusatory glare. "excuse me…?" 

She laughed. What the hell? 

"You know who I find distracting...!?" She asked with a grin, and then suddenly had a hint of shyness. "....Alphys" 

"What about me?" The lizard monster asked as she came back inside the house. She shoved the phone back in her pocket.

For once, Undyne showed mercy and finally left him alone with a devious smile. "I'll tell you later, babe. What did that robot do now?" 

"Oh my GOD don't get me started…" they walked back into the kitchen leaving Sans even more confused. Is that what you meant?

\---

You'd come to study. You'd look tired. You'd leave. Sans didn't like this. Even if what Undyne said was true, that wouldn't change the fact you would be leaving in two weeks. Two weeks! He just wanted to spend every moment he could with you but instead you seemed to be pushing him away. Did you think that would make it easier on the both of you? Because right now you both looked pretty miserable. This went on until the days leading up to finals. 

Somehow, Sans finally convinced you to come on the weekend before finals to get some last minute studying in with Papyrus. He mentioned he would be busy with friends at the house and that way you could focus on your classes with his brother. 

Truthfully, it's not that you didn't want to see him. You really did! But it was so hard knowing you'd have to say goodbye. And the worst part was that even with this distance you established, you wanted to hold him even closer! It was hard not to feel sad about it. A small part of you felt like it was mourning. And that seemed dramatic, so you felt bad about feeling bad as well. You just wanted to distract yourself with school until there was no school left. 

\---

"VERY GOOD, Y/N! 89% ON THE PRACTICE TEST I MADE AND I'M TOLD BY SENIORS, MY TESTS ARE MORE DIFFICULT!" he put down the practice test he made for you. "AND HOW DID I DO?" 

"One-hundred percent." You answered. Either your tests were too easy or Papyrus was too powerful. Hopefully you're not failing at challenging him. Your brain was getting numb and you actually did feel confident enough to pass your tests, now. But that didn't mean you were ready to head home. 

"GREAT!" He stood up and cleared off the books. Your study time was over. "IF YOU DON'T MIND, IN GOING TO CHECK IN ON THE GROUP AND SEE IF THEY NEED ANYTHING FROM ME BEFORE I DRIVE YOU HOME." He wanted to make sure Sans didn't convince them to have cheese filled cocktail weenies as the main dish… again. This has happened twice already. 

He headed outside where the group was. You didn't like being alone so you followed but stood near the door to the back yard. Sans was there and you couldn't help but give a small wave. You had been using studying as your excuse, but now that you studied all you could, you couldn't hide by that reasoning any longer. You missed him. You hugged your arms to your chest.

Out in the yard you saw the two brides dancing in a circle with some ribbons. It seemed to be some kind of tradition you weren't familiar with, so it must be a monster dance. They seemed so happy. Sans hesitantly headed over to your side, trying to detect whatever boundary you were setting (or not?)

"hey." He greeted, then shoved his hands on his jacket and watched the dance alongside you. "finally done studying?"

You paused before answering. "Yeah." Your fingernails dug into your arm. "Sorry I've been so distant. Sometimes I just… get stressed." Also looking at him made you want to cry, but it was probably best not to say that. "I… missed hanging out with you, but that's my fault. Sorry." Yeah you didn't want to be mean and play a game of kiss and run, but you didn't want to lose your friend, either. Your brain scolded you for being a bad friend. 

"s'fine" he reached over and tapped at your nearby hand. It reminded you to unclench your fingers. He lowered the hand next to you and the other went into his hoodie pocket and he watched his friends. After a few moments of hesitancy, you allowed yourself to wrap your pinky around his. He relaxed and his grin widened. 

"ALPHYS!!! You didn't answer my texts!!" A dramatic and robotic voice rang out. Mettaton seemed to be approaching from the side of the house. He didn't have the fake fur coat anymore, but he was still rocking the same sunglasses. 

The lizard groaned and stopped dancing. "Yes, I did." She replied, deadpan. 

He lowered his sunglasses with a pout. "...Okay, but you didn't give me the right answer!" 

"I'm not doing it, Mettaton!" She clenched her claws into fists.

"Alphys, PLEASE! You need to!" He said, posing dramatically.

"Can it, tin can!! …. Did you bring the bubbles or not?!" Her fiance grinned her sharp teeth. 

"....Ugh, yes." He snapped his fingers and the little Mettaton robots carried the party favors to the back deck. You didn't know what the hell was going on. Papyrus didn't, either.

"METTATON! WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM? MAYBE I CAN HELP?" He set the strange tassels of the may pole like item on their resting hook.

"PapyRUS! Perfect! Would you like to be my manager? I just can't seem to keep good help these days." He posed with his hand on his hip, as though this were to convince him. The little robots continued to bring the party favors over, one by one.

"WOWIE!! I WOULD PREFER NOT TO!" He grinned with his blunt response. Ever since Mettaton became not square, he really wasn't as interesting. Also the robot was very high maintenance and he was already busy with human monster affairs.

Mettaton seemed to take damage. 

The lizard pinched at the scales where her glasses rest. "You need to be more reasonable if you want to keep people working for you, Mettaton." She gave one last sympathetic look. "They have unions. You'll get black-listed if you haven't already." 

"Well, what am I supposed to do now?" He huffed. "I can't do this by myself, I'm very busy!"

She shrugged, done with pandering to his needs while they were trying to plan a wedding. "Find someone else who tolerates you enough to get the job done. It's not me." 

He made a processing noise and glanced around him, suddenly locking eyes with "SAN-"

"no." 

He glanced to the left.

"..... MY LOYAL STAGE HAND?!" Suddenly the robots quickly all dropped the party favors on the table and rushed at you. "You came to help me in my time of need!!"

"I… What?" You just came to study.

"That's why you're here, right? Your loyalty doesn't falter. I can count on you!" He suddenly gripped your hands (pulling yours away from Sans'). "We share a special bond, you and I!"

"what's their name?" Asked a rightfully miffed skeleton. His pinky was lonely. 

"....Tu…."   
You shook your head.   
"Ei…"   
You shook your head.  
"Ghe…" 

You suddenly realized he was listing the names on the cast pamphlet in order. You had an idea. "....Last page, second name down." 

"Y/N!!!!" 

Sans rolled his eye lights. You were too nice. 

"See!!! You understand my genius!!" A metaphorical target was placed on you. Memories of his ridiculous requests flooded your mind. The play was over, can't you be free? 

The tiny robots suddenly disappeared.

"Hey!" Undyne shouted as she approached. "You gotta stay local, right Mettaton?!"

He fanned his hand across his chest. "Yes, I'm going for that small town vibe until I get traction, so I'm basically going to stay here until Hollywood begs me to live there~" he laughed into the back of his hand. 

Alphys seemed to catch on and also walked up. "A-and since that's the path you're going for, most of the management is like a personal assistant right now since all your hype is through social media…!"

"Correct!! Like and subscribe and RING THAT BELL!" he flipped his hair. "And follow me on twitch for some game play interaction~" he winked.

You froze and Sans suddenly spoke up. ".... and the job pays? money?"

"Well, I mean the experience is priceless!" There was a pause as that wasn't the right answer. "....But yes, it pays competitively." He followed up, deadpan.

Everyone suddenly looked at you. Wait. You? ".... I'm not qualified to be a manager." You spoke, saying the first thing in your mind.

"More like a personal assistant…!" Alphys pointed out with her claw in the air. 

"....I-I don't have any experience in social media management!" Did they think you had some secret abilities because of your age?

"I've seen you and the other dork post memes on the under-and-over-net all the time!" Undyne cut in. Sans was the other dork, apparently.

"AND DIDN'T YOU APPLY TO BE THE STAGE MANAGER EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVEN'T BEEN A MANAGER BEFORE? I THINK YOU'RE READY!!" Papyrus now caught on and was not letting go. 

"What do you say, darling?" The robot grinned.

Emotions flashed around. Fear of letting people down. Hope of getting experience. Joy of getting to stay. Your brain was still completely fried from studying finals. You took a breath.

"... Yeah. Okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (This chapter was too long for me, I hope I did it justice. )
> 
> I love having Papyrus in this story. He has such chaotic energy. 
> 
> I also wish I had Papyrus in college to make practice tests with 😭


End file.
